The Austin Independent School District recently distributed vending machines to all high schools in the district. While Bowie doesn't have any direct involvement with what is contained in the vending machines, students have expressed their various benefits and disadvantages of this new addition.
“The district provided them for all high schools, and one day they just showed up,” Academic Director Kaylin Brett said. “They are managed by the district and the company provider.”
There are four vending machines located throughout campus for student convenience. Two are in the fine arts hallway, and the other two are in the athletic Building. These locations make it efficient for the use of students in sports or extracurricular activities.
“I use the vending machines mostly after volleyball practice,” junior Ella Scott said. “Them being in the fine arts hall makes it easy for a quick grab-and-go snack, it's convenient that it's not really out of the way.” The addition of vending machines has been long awaited by students at Bowie. Previously, the only place to regularly buy snacks and drinks at school was the lunch line.
“I’m glad they decided to put in vending machines,” Scott said. “There used to be empty vending machines in the academic building. I had always wished they would come back, and I'm sure other people hoped so too.”
Bowie High School is required to provide a nutritious breakfast and lunch for all students, and the AISD board restricts schools from providing items that are competing with the cafeteria. Due to these regulations, the vending machines cannot be in service during lunchtime.
“I think that the vending machines shouldn’t be closed during lunch,” Scott said. “When people want to quickly grab a snack they are forced to wait in the long lunch lines just to get one, which they might not always have time for. Also, the snack options in the lunch line are much more limited compared to the vending machines” Despite some complaints, the overall reaction from students has been positive. Students are excited about the new variety of snack and beverage options that are available.
“I think vending machines are a great idea for Bowie and all schools overall because kids have more options of what to eat for a snack,” Scott said. “They give lots of options of snacks that were not available in the lunch lines and it's definitely something students use.”
STORY BY Marissa McGowan
THE DISPATCH
FRIDAY, DEC.
Peyton Dorsey News Editor
The winner of the 2024 United States presidential election, Donald J. Trump was announced at 11:15 pm on November 8, 2024 by the Associated Press. Trump won with 312 electoral votes, beating his opponent, Kamala Harris, who only obtained 226. The U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will serve under Trump during his presidency. The inauguration of the 47th U.S. president and vice president is scheduled for January 20, 2025.
“I think all the presidential candidates were very passionate individuals and had their reasons to run for office,” social studies teacher Tyler Larraga said. “They were all very driven when it came down to what the people wanted.”
Trump has expressed some of his main ambitions as president on his campaign website. Emphasizing his plans to deport undocumented immigrants, end inflation, decrease climate regulations, cut taxes for workers, and cut federal funding to any schools pushing “inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content” on the children of America.
“I think Donald Trump’s presidency will further the division of the country,” junior Riley Redmer said. “Trump has continuously called the Democratic Party radical, along with blaming the Biden administration for many problems our country faces, by doing this he is casting an unwanted hatred that causes division in the country.”
On the same day as the presidential election, local elections also took place. Proposition A was approved by voters in the Travis County general election. Proposition A will introduce a 2.5-cent property tax increase that will be applied to fund affordable child care in the county. Proposition A will also help to fund a pay increase for 85% of Austin Independent School District’s staff. This increase will be between 1.4% for newer teachers and 7.3% for more experienced teachers.
“I think Prop A greatly benefits all the teachers here,” Larraga said. “They’re all hardworking individuals who are passionate about education.”
According to KXAN, the tax hike has allotted funding for 1,900 childcare spots for babies and toddlers as well as 3,900 spots for after school and summer care for elementary-age kids in low- income families.
“This is something that will be a huge help to the education system here in Austin ISD,” Larraga said.
“I can say I’m thankful and glad it passed.”
Sara Fowler Dispatch Reporter
After election day, social studies teacher Isaac Cowlin looked around his classroom. Thinking of his students, community, and himself, he anticipates the impact Donald Trump's second term will have on those he cares about.
On January 20, 2025, Trump will return to office following his victory in the U.S. presidential election. In Trump's Agenda 47 Platform and campaign, he has proposed policies on the economy, immigration, education, healthcare, and government.
“Trump’s policies will impact not just the entire country, but the entire world,” Cowlin said. “Knowing Trump’s plans makes me feel for my students; it makes me feel for the people in my community.”
In the Texas Senate election, republican Ted Cruz, the incumbent, defeated his opponent, democrat Colin Alred. Cruz received the majority votes at 53.1% with Alred coming in at 44.5%.
“A certain group was assuming that there would be a different outcome of the senator race,” Larraga said. “I was a bit shocked and awakened, however, it is what the people of Texas wanted.”
Cruz has served as the junior U.S. Senator for Texas since 2013. John Cornyn is the senior U.S. Senator for Texas and has served since 2002. A senior senator title is given to whichever senator was elected first. Cornyn, having been in office 11 years longer than Cruz, holds the senior title.
On his campaign website, Cruz explains his plans for Texas after he was elected as his “key wins for Texas.” He plans to expand the Texas economy, grow Texas aviation, secure the southern border, and fight for the veterans in Texas while in office.
“I don’t think Ted Cruz cares about the citizens of Texas,” Redmer said.
Trump intends to lower the cost of living in the U.S., partly through cutting taxes. Trump has proposed extending his 2017 tax overhaul, while also exempting tips, overtime, and Social Security from taxes and lowering the corporate income tax rate. Additionally, Trump has proposed rolling back Biden-era tax rate increases and removing the cap on state and local tax deductions.
“If Trump cuts taxes for everyone, people will have more money to spend in their pockets and the ability to purchase will go up,” economics teacher Glen Lewis said.
“However, in his first term, he reduced taxes for the wealthy, so the middle class ended up paying more. His tax plan won’t help unless he has a 180-degree change from what he did last time.”
To reduce the cost of
energy, Trump has proposed deregulating the energy industry to increase U.S. energy production. Trump has proposed deregulation policies including rolling back Environmental Protection Agency regulations and federal investments in clean energy from the Inflation Reduction Act.
“The U.S. is actually producing more oil than we ever have in the history of our country, and deregulation won’t necessarily cause our amounts to increase,” Lewis said. “Deregulation doesn't make it less expensive to drill. I don’t think deregulation will adjust the cost of living in any way.”
Trump has proposed the ‘Trump Reciprocal Trade Act’, intended to lower other countries' tariff rates on the U.S. by placing identical rates on imports from those countries.
Simultaneously, Trump has proposed placing tariff rates of at least 10% on imports from all other countries and up to 60% on China as part of his ‘America First’ trade policy. He also indicated he intends on raising tariffs on goods from direct neighbors Canada and Mexico.
“Tariffs are inflationary, they will decrease the value of the dollar,” Lewis said. “If tariffs are on only nations that have them on us, then maybe that reduces them, and the net effect is that inflation is reduced on our part for those goods, but tariffs across the board will definitely increase inflation.”
Trump has proposed reinstating policies including ‘Remain in Mexico’, Title 42, and enacting travel bans, which would limit immigration. Trump also wants to establish immigration reform including
ending birthright citizenship and further prioritizing merit-based immigration.
“Trump would prefer if everyone was legal, but I think that’s ironic because he's made it so difficult to seek help in our country,” junior Violet Mills said. “I don’t understand the stigma about immigrants coming into our country. I feel like Trump has created this fear.”
Trump intends to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Trump has proposed using federal forces and invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to aid in the process. Additionally, Trump has proposed strengthening border patrol by hiring more border agents and increasing their pay.
“He
Ella Scott, 11 PHOTO BY Marissa McGowan
PHOTO BY Arden Ray
ARTBYSophiaSepulveda
INFOGRAPHIC BY Peyton Dorsey
Sources:
Statesman,
Austin expands library card program
Austin Public
Library removes $120 application fee for library cards all Texas residents
Katie Grumet News Editor
Walking into the public library, junior Serra Gomez’s eyes light up as she walks down the rows of bookshelves. She pulls a book off the shelf, sits down on a bench in the library, and begins to read through the book. This is a simple but rewarding task for Gomez.
“I think students should take advantage of this resource because otherwise it'll go away. ” Serra Gomez Junior
In 2017, Austin Public Library began to offer all Austin ISD students free public library cards. Moving into 2021, the program expanded to students enrolled in any school in Texas, as long as they are Texas residents. This year starting on March 11, the program branched out to all Texans, including adults living in unincorporated areas outside the city, waving the $120 fee applicants previously had to pay.
“I have access to a lot more books that I can read than I did at the school library, we have a really small fantasy section which is sad,” Gomez said. “The public library has a lot of educational books such as textbooks, cookbooks, audio-books, and tutorial books, there’s so many books and it helps a lot for school.”
An Austin public library card can be used in person and online. Students can check out books digitally or physically, along with being provided access to online resources such as e books, music, and a program called “Homework Help” which has one-on-one tutoring, research tools, and video tutorials.
“They have all these different kinds of free tutorial programs on their website,” school librarian Tara Walker-Leon said. “There are so many resources if kids would just get on there and kind of play around with it. This is a great resource to offer students access to all of what Austin Public Library has.”
According to Living Tree, library budgets vary widely across the district with some schools being well-funded and others not so much. Walker-Leon feels that this budget deficit can prevent libraries from being properly funded, and maintained, and makes adding to their libraries more difficult. It’s also up to the principal of each school to set the budget for the library.
“Some principals don’t give their librarians any money so they have a $0 budget,” Walker-Leon said. “How are you supposed to have a library if you have no budget? We could get
even less funding and if Austin Public Library is offering its resources to all Austin ISD students for free, that's amazing.”
According to AISD, the partnership between public libraries and schools can help diminish barriers for students who previously could not access these resources, improve education outcomes, and strengthen the community. AISD alone has almost two million books spread out through 130 schools within the district while there are 20 public library branches in Austin.
“I used to go to the Austin public library a few times a year when I was in elementary and middle school because I lived close to one,” junior Hannah Vanhorn said. “When you check out books through the public library, you can read a lot of different books without having to pay for them. You can learn about a lot of new books that you probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.”
According to the Austin Monitor public libraries are used for many things aside from providing people access to books and research resources. City Council member Vanessa Fuentes considers public libraries as community hubs and people can take advantage of some of their programs and services such as assistance with navigating the internet. 48% of students use libraries as a study space and 44%of students use libraries to conduct research for an assignment or project, according to ProQuest.
“The school library is kind of loud because of all the students who are in there at times,” Vanhorn said. “If you have a very loud family at home, it's nice to have a place that you can go to that’s more quiet. The Austin Public Library is free, fun, and a nice environment that students should take advantage of.”
If an AISD student were to log into their public library account, they would go to the Austin Public Library website login page and type their username AISD + student ID number and the password aisd4books. After that, students may have to complete account setup if it is their first time logged into that account.
“I have sent several BLEND messages with how a student can log into their public library account and how to access Libby which is the platform on student’s phone to get access to e Books and audio-books,” Walker-Leon said. “The Libby app is so amazing, I think stu-
dents are allowed 10 checkouts and they’re allowed seven holds. Students can ask Libby to send books to their Kindle or the Kindle app, or students can access it on the Libby website and read it on their Chromebook.”
According to Gomez, access to the Austin Public Library’s online resources makes checking out books and acquiring resources convenient. She finds that it's not always easy to find time to make a trip to the library, but by using her online account, she can still regularly read books and enhance her knowledge on various subjects.
“You can read books from your Chromebook or phone, personally, I don’t like having to pull out a whole book to start reading but even if you can’t read on your phone and the teacher tells you to read, you can just pull up a book online,” Go -
GARAGE ISSUES
mez said. “There’s a tutorial on how to log into your account on your phone which can be found on BLEND but a lot of people don’t know about that.” Gomez believes that the public library has a larger variety of books, but she specifically takes note of the fantasy section, which is her favorite genre. She also takes advantage of the online academic resources to help her succeed in her classes.
“I’ve been using my account to help me study for my anatomy class,” Gomez said. “I also use my account to read for fun too. It's a lot of fun and I think everybody can find something in it that they’d like. I think more people should take advantage of the free public library cards otherwise it’ll go away. Just like with anything, if people are not using it, they’re not going to keep those programs around.”
According to the American Library Association 98% of public libraries offer free public Wi-Fi access, 95% offer summer reading programs to address the “summer slide” in reading achievement experienced during school breaks. The services found at a public library may have more variety in programs than the typical school library. AISD’s library goals are to provide students with up-todate, relevant and appropriate resources and meet students' individual reading needs (AISD). “The question you ask yourself is, do I like choice?” Walker-Leon said. “The public library can buy at least 10 copies of each book and that's great. They have a lot more choices and if you have more options, the more chances you have of being able to find a book that you might like.”
Garage parking system malfunctions preventing use
Marissa McGowan Review Editor
As junior Peyton Elliot turns into the parking garage entrance, slowly approaching her fate, she drives, hoping that her RFID tag will be scanned and a line of cars won’t grow behind her. As her tag fails to scan she is forced to find a new place to park, and be late to class. At Bowie High School, students have faced ongoing issues with campus parking options, and the parking reliability. Bowie offers three different purchasable parking options for students, the parking garage, A-lot, and Bethany Church lot. Additionally, students can park on Wolf Trap Drive, or Norman Trail for free.
“Anytime a person who doesn't have a parking permit asks me where they can park I tell them they can purchase one of the three different lots, or park on Wolf Trap Drive,” campus safety monitor Andrew Padget said. “For free options, I can't tell students where they can and cannot go, there are both sides of Wolftrap Drive and that’s it.”
While A-lot and Bethany have some complaints, students have encountered many continuous issues with the parking garage. These include, the garage failing to open, excessive traffic, and reckless driving.
“I've not been able to get into the garage, multiple times,” Elliot said. “I've had to reverse and let somebody else go, or have someone else open with their pass and I've had to gun through behind them.”
Students with a Texas Toll Tag on their vehicle are more likely to experience malfunctions with the entry system. If the garage system detects the toll tag first, it assumes the car is
attempting to enter illegally, causing the system to shut the student out. “If you have a Texas toll tag on your car, you have a 50/50 chance that the gate is going to work,” Padget said.
“There are two problems that cause the student to be shut out. One of them I can fix, and the other one all I can do is advise.”
According to the Bowie campus safety monitor, the other cause of the garage not opening for students stems from students driving too close behind one another. If the garage entry system senses two different scans in the same session, It interprets this as an attempt to bypass the system, locking students
out. “For that issue, all I can do is advise them to stay on the outside, and wait till the car in front starts to turn into the garage,” Padget said. “If you turn into the garage while that car is still there, that's when it'll pick up two signals.”
The gate issue affects not only the students involved but also surrounding drivers. Students may often end up behind someone who is unable to enter the garage. If the driver doesn’t back up promptly, it causes students to be stuck behind them and affects everyone involved.
“It’s happened a few times that I've
been stuck behind people who couldn't get in,” junior Daniel Sinton said. “The driver didn't get out of the way for anyone else so we were all stuck behind them, I felt bad for them, and I felt bad for everyone else that was going to be late for class.”
In addition, students have spoken up about the dangerous driving habits of drivers in the parking garage. With students driving at high speeds and their rush to leave the building, junior Isaias Sanchez explains that these habits create a dangerous environment in the garage. “People aren't driving appropriately,” Sanchez said. “People are impatient,
they are doing anything to leave school faster, in which they become careless and put pedestrians at risk.”
The parking garage serves a large number of drivers, and as a result, traffic is an issue. Drivers from the garage are instructed to turn onto Wolftrap Dr. a traffic hot-spot for students, faculty, and parents.
“I think the biggest issue besides the RFID tags, is definitely the traffic,” Sanchez said. “I think they could limit traffic by making a right turn lane onto Wolftrap Dr. so the people turning right don't have to wait for all the people turning left.”
These consistent issues have caused students to seek out different parking options. With A-lot being in high demand, Sanchez turned to Bethany Lutheran Church parking as a more reliable option.
“I had a parking garage pass but I started to park in the church parking lot because my RFID tag never worked,” Sanchez said. “The gate didn't open whenever I went, no matter how many times I tried so I just stopped.”
While alternative parking options seem like the solution for students, they come with their own set of challenges. During dismissal, parents often park at Bethany Church to pick up students. However, they park on the road illegally causing extensive traffic and increasing the risk of accidents
“Parents should just go to the front of the school like they're instructed to,” Sanchez said. “They park on the right side of the street and they slow me down, it would take me 15 minutes just to get past them, and I didn't know if they were going or just waiting so I had to wait to go around them and it would hold everybody up.”
JUST OUT OF REACH: Hannah Vanhorn reaches for a book at the Austin Public Library. Vanhorn used to go to the library a lot when she was kid and lived closer to a public library. PHOTO BY Katie Grumet
PASSING THROUGH: A student pulls up to the parking garage where their RFID tag needs to be scanned before they're allowed to enter. If the system does not allow the car to enter, the student may have to back up and try to enter again. PHOTO BY Sophia Dudich
TRYING IT OUT: Junior Serra Gomez skims a book she grabbed off the shelf while sitting on the MLK memorial bench in the Austin public library. Gomez does this before deciding to check out the book online.
PHOTO BY Katie Grumet
Controversy sparks across the nation
Students
Savannah Politics Editor
his administration.
“I admire his ability to be a good negotiator," Venable said. “Especially with foreign adversaries like Iran and China.” I am hoping that he will cut back taxes to what they were, and I hope that he keeps deregulating the economy to where businesses are able to grow.”
On the other end of the spectrum, opponents of the Trump administration discuss their concerns about the future president's morals and what his intentions are behind gaining back office.
“I am concerned about his plans,” Redmer said. "I don’t know what will happen, and it’s scary. Hopefully, people will realize that they made the wrong decision by electing Trump.”
According to The Guardian, Trump
CONTINUED from pg. 1
ion," Hadley said. “It is a fact and it’s honestly disgusting that we have a president like that.”
However sexual assault is not the only conviction Trump has. BBC states that the state of New York convicted him of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records and he was found guilty on all counts in regards to the hush money that he gave to an adult film star. However Trump has not been sentenced for these crimes, because the sentencing has been put on hold while he is office.
“It is not even about politics at this point,” Hadley said. “In a perfect world, it would be okay to have different opinions, but in this specific election, we have a convicted felon as president. At this point, it’s about morals and who you are as a person.”
These differing opinions have
this election, defended his choice to back the democratic candidate, considering those who favored Trump as misguided.
“I think the straight white men who voted for Trump are completely self-centered and living in their own world,” Hadley said. “They have the privilege of not worrying about their rights being taken away. The women who voted for him are completely delusional because he has said time and time again that he does not support women and their rights in any way.”
Venable cited social media as one of the reasons why people voted for Harris. Venable believes that these voters were following the trends and complying to what influencers tell them to do.
“I do not think that they are bad people,” Venable said. “I just disagree
in Austin,” Venable said. “It is a cool place to live though, it has a good environment and schools but I don't have anything against the people I disagree with.”
Trump isn’t the only person who was reelected this year. Ted Cruz was voted in for his third term as junior senator of Texas. Cruz won against democratic competitor Colin Alred and libertarian Ted Brown. Cruz is a member of the Republican Party and as a senator, he represents the State of Texas in Congress.
“I believe that Ted Cruz is worse than Trump,” Hadley said. “He has specifically said that he is against gay marriage, and as an openly gay person, that is a threat to my rights. He is also completely disrespectful to women and seeing as he has two daughters I think that it is very hypocritical of him
homes and it will also be a lot cheaper in general.”
The Texas Tribune wrote about the protests that occurred on the Texas State campus. Two men who were not students or faculty of the university were on campus with large signs carrying messages for the student body and staff targeted towards women and the LGBTQIA+ community. These men were from an organization called Official Street Preachers. They drew a large crowd of people and had to be forcefully escorted off of the campus.
“I think this behavior was absolutely horrible,” Hadley said. “It is an example of what people will do when they believe they have the upper hand. I do not see the point of not thinking that everyone deserves equal rights and a safe place to live.”
Note for Sara-- Items “Energy,” “Religion,” “Military,” and “Police” are very vague. If anything needs to be changed, feel free to edit the text. I abruptly got sick, so I won’t be in class to do it
“If you get rid of workers, and there aren't enough workers to do the work, prices go up,” Lewis said. “You have to pay people to attract them to the job, so you have to pay them more, then it costs more to make stuff, and then you have to sell for more. Unfortunately, it seems like most of the things Trump has proposed are inflationary acts.”
According to the New York Times, Social Security is projected to run out of funding by 2033. Medicare and Social Security are funded by federal tax income, therefore Trump’s plans to cut taxes and deport undocumented immigrants, who contribute to tax income, would further lower Social Security and Medicare funding. However, Trump does not plan to cut benefits or raise the retirement age. Previously, Trump has proposed repealing the Affordable Care Act, although it remains unclear if he currently plans to do so.
“I don’t think Trump cares about breaking any promises about Social Security and Medicare,” Cowlin said. “On healthcare specifically, I think this is a policy where I would focus less on the rhetoric of Trump and more on the history of the policy of the Republican Party. The history of the Republican Party has always been to deny coverage.”
Trump supports strengthening and expanding police forces. Trump has proposed using federal funding to hire more officers and encourage policing tactics such as stop and frisk. Additionally, Trump has proposed strengthening legal protec-
tions against police officers.
“Police have already been shown abusing their powers when it comes to things like arresting,” junior Averi Castruita said. “So, I don’t agree with strengthening the police and their legal protections at all.”
Trump intends to close the Department of Education, leaving education to be controlled by the state government. Trump has proposed that schools end teacher tenure, making teachers easier to fire, and school administrators, such as principals, being elected by parents.
"There's probably gonna initiatives sent down from the federal government," Cowlin said. "These will that subject what were teaching, how were teaching, what we are or are not allowed to say, terms we can or cannot use."
Trump intends to remove what he referred to as “inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material” from public schools by cutting funding from schools that he perceives as teaching such material. Trump has also proposed enacting policies, such as the 1776 commission from his previous term, which aimed to promote American-favorable education regarding history.
“I think that there's been a lot of different types of horrible aspects in history, so it's important to know not only the good but also the bad,” social studies teacher Tyler Larraga said. “Only painting a good picture leads to a lot of misinformation and different types of challenges in the future. So, I wouldn't agree with informing the
students of only some information.”
Trump has proposed revoking Biden's expansions to Title IX, which included LGBTQ+ students in protection against discrimination in federal education programs and expanded protections against sexual assault and harassment. Further, Trump has proposed using Title IX to keep transgender students from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity.
“I think protections for students are an important component within education,” Larraga said. “If those protections are present then they’re able to thrive within the classroom and their extracurriculars. As teachers, we always have to be there for the students, we always have to let them know that this place is a safe place for all of them.”
Trump has also proposed policies that would limit federal funding to hospitals that perform gender-affirming care for adolescents. Trump has indicated he is not in favor of enacting a national abortion ban, preferring to leave that decision to the states. However, Trump will likely reinstate a previous policy of his that prohibits healthcare providers in the Title X network from discussing abortion with patients, which would remove millions of dollars of funding from organizations like Planned Parenthood.
“Restricting access to healthcare has made it extremely difficult for women and people who need that healthcare to receive it,” Mills said. “I think that healthcare should be available to everyone and I don't agree with bans or restrictions on abortion."
Trump intends to strengthen the U.S. military and has proposed policies that would increase military funding and resources. In 2019, Trump created a sixth military branch, the Space Force. Trump has proposed creating a combat reserve for the Space Force, the Space National Guard. Additionally, Trump has proposed establishing an “Iron Dome” missile defense shield air defense system.
“Every president has always been in favor of a massive military budget,” Cowlin said. “What the military has been to the U.S. throughout its existence is an instrument to defend the interests of those who run it.”
Trump has proposed reinstating Schedule F, an executive order from his previous term that would reclassify thousands of federal employees, who usually retain their jobs during presidential transitions of power, to at-will employees, making them easier to fire. Both Biden and Trump have promised a peaceful transition of power.
“If politicians care more about being pleasant with each other, and students who I see in my classroom every day are asking me for snacks because they don't have enough to eat, my heart is always gonna be with those students, not those who coddle Trump,” Cowlin said. “I care about the people in my community, the people I see on a day-to-day basis, and I think that Trump and the people who enable him go against the interests of me and the people I care about.”
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
Senior sizzles with glee for chef school
Jeremy Duran maps out his future plans at the Culinary Institute of America for college
Isabella
Verette Senior Editor-in-Chief
Pans sizzling as the grease hits the hot metal, senior Jeremy Duran minces vegetables while preparing a culinary pop-up dish. Next year Duran plans on attending the Culinary Institute of America to further his knowledge of the kitchen and curating dishes.
The Culinary Institute of America often referred to as the ‘C.I.A.’, is the leading school for those wishing to study culinary arts, according to Hospitality management degrees. With four campuses located around the country, Duran chose to stay close to home for his collegiate education and will be attending the San
over multiple days and a class called ‘Ingredient Functionality’ that aims to teach the power of ingredients.
“One of the things I love about cooking is being able to use my hands to create something,” Duran said. “I am looking forward to the end of my second year where I will be placed in the school’s restaurant called Savor, which will let me participate in the creation of diverse dishes, along with working with professional chefs which is cool.”
Duran first developed his love during the 2020 lock-down, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I took an Intro to Culinary class in eighth grade during the pandemic and we just started learning basic skills, but because we
found a new hobby.”
Duran is a member of Bowie’s culinary program and is double-blocked in the program, meaning he gets to cook at school almost every day, along with being able to participate in the pop-up lunches and bake sales.
“I’ve been in the culinary program since my junior year and the program has been a very inviting community,” Duran said. “Chef Howard has definitely helped me improve. He has taught me the basics of cooking and what it means to be a leader and work in the kitchen.”
While Duran will be attending the C.I.A. he doesn’t currently participate in any culinary programs outside of the Bowie’s but is striving to get more experience to strengthen his skills
“The class he took in middle school helped him get more hands-on with cooking,” Loera said. “Since then I’ve tried a lot of his dishes, my personal favorite is his fried chicken. It’s the way that he shows he cares.”
His ability to show care through food and flavors is something that Duran is aware of and uses as a form of expression as Loera has noticed.
“Cooking is the main thing I find joy in doing. I do it as much as I possibly can, I go home every day and cook. Through that I realized I don’t just love cooking, I love cooking for people,” Duran said. “Seeing the looks on people’s faces when they bite into good food, that’s just everything to me.”
Ingredients:
2 Boneless skinless chicken thighs - 1 Egg white
1/2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
2 Cloves/ minced - Salt and pepper - -2 Tablespoons of corn starch
Duran conveyed this passion during his application to the C.I.A., having to submit an essay as a part of the application process.
“I had to write an essay about my experience in the kitchen and what the experience has been like, and why I think I’m a good fit,” Duran said. “I’ve been to the campus twice and I just know that I love it and that being there will help me grow, and I think I conveyed that in the essay.” Culinary schools are seeing a decrease in applicants and becoming a less popular career path, according to The Washington Post, yet in Duran’s choice to pursue culinary school, he has supporters surrounding him.
“I think my mom has supported me the most when it came to me wanting to apply to the C.I.A.” Duran said. “She’s the person I cook for the most,
planning for what’s after his Associate Culinary Arts degree.
“I think the next step for me would be becoming a private chef,” Duran said. “My dream person to work for would probably be Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s my favorite basketball player and being able to cook for him would be super cool.”
While being a private chef for big names, Duran has also discussed creating a Fusion-style restaurant with Larson due to their success and joy of working together in Bowie’s Culinary program.
“I believe that Jeremy and I could find success purely based on how well we work together and have been able to design menus in the past that have been enjoyable,” Larson said. “We have talked about doing some sort of barbecue, Asian fusion, or Asian American fusion in general.”
Before heading off to the C.I.A. Duran will have his senior pop-up, which is a tradition in Bowie’s culinary program, where seniors curate a menu and recipes and sell the meals.
“We just did our senior pop-up presentation. We had to create a slide show consisting of our menu, price breakdowns, and explanations, which was kind of nerve-racking,” Duran said. “My favorite kind of food to cook is Asian food, so my menu will consist of hot and sour soup as an appetizer, sesame chicken with steamed rice as an entree, mango sago as a dessert and a honey lemon bubble tea.”
This final menu Duran will present as a part of Bowie’s culinary program in the spring semester will be a sneak peek into his future as a chef.
“I’m excited for the next two years after graduation,” Duran said. “Pursuing my passion as a career is just something amazing.
Sesame Chicken Recipe
Steps : 1. Cut chicken thighs into bite size pieces
2. Combine minced clove, soy sauce, and egg white, into a large bowl and let chicken marinate overnight
3. Coat chicken in corn starch and season with salt and pepper
4. Bring frying oil 375 degrees and fry until golden brown
5. Set on a separate tray to drain excess oil
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
2.5 Tablespoons of ketchup
1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar - 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
3 Tablespoons of water
1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch slurry
bring to a boil
3. Once at a boil add the cornstarch slurry and allow to thicken
4. Once thickened, add fried chicken and coat it
5. Add sesame seeds and fresh onions
Senior Jianna Zamora performs for new beginnings
Ava Weaver Dispatch Reporter
Jianna Zamora clutches the baton with her right hand while simultaneously moving her arms in swift movements as she conducts Bowie’s guitar class. Zamora has been playing guitar since middle school, and now, in her senior year, she has become the teaching assistant for Bowie’s classical guitar class.
Zamora feels that the guitar program hasn’t gotten much attention or support from AISD. The guitar program at Bowie hasn’t had a set guitar teacher for the past two years after the last teacher quit. Randall Cantu, the AP music theory and piano teacher, went to Zamora and presented her with the opportunity to become the teaching assistant for the class.
Chicken Marinade: Lorem ipsum
side of school at Austin Classical Guitar, also known as ACG. ACG is a non-profit organization that teaches guitar in hopes of spreading love through music.
Zamora has now been a part of ACG for three years, performing and conducting in their 19 and younger age groups called, Austin Classical Guitar Youth Orchestra (ACGYO).
“Once I joined ACG my sophomore year I saw how they changed people’s lives with music,” Zamora said. “That made me realize that playing guitar is what I want to do.”
Zamora was glad to have this opportunity to teach kids with the same passion as her. She has become a key piece in the classroom for these students, giving them the support they need to continue to learn and grow according to Cantu.
“When I think of Jianna, I think of an exemplary student who embodies what Bowie Fine Arts finds to be the epitome of pride and performance,” Cantu said. “Every time there has been an opportunity to contribute, she’s always had that incentive to want to help, and when those contributions come from a student, it’s unique and special.”
Zamora plays her guitar out-
take Williams’ teaching and implement what she has learned into what she is teaching at school. Williams has helped Zamora throughout her years at ACG, leading her through new concepts of conducting and helping her perfect the way she performs.
“The thing thats striking about Jianna is that she loves performing. That love allows her to apply herself.” Joe Williams Conductor
ACG being a non-profit, attracts a lot of donors. One in particular, Carson McKowen, a recurring donor to ACG, sought Zamora out and gave her a new guitar from Bolzano, Italy.
“I was a mess and started crying when I found out I could have the guitar,” Zamora said. “It was nice, I never thought that something like that would happen to me.”
At ACG, Zamora met Joe Williams, the artistic director for Austin Classical Guitar and the conductor of the ACGYO for the past 10 years. Zamora sees Williams as her biggest role model and with this being Zamora’s first year conducting, she can
“The thing that is striking about Jianna is she loves performing,” Williams said. “That love allows her to apply herself, her skills, and develop her artistry.”
Zamora’s interest in guitar was first sparked when she looked up “girls that play guitar” on YouTube. She stumbled onto Ana Vidovic, a Croatian classical guitarist, and watched with awe as she played “La Catedral”. She dreamed of playing the guitar like her. She went from watching her through a screen to performing with her. She opened for Vidovic this August and has opened for 10 other sold-out shows with other renowned classical guitarists.
“I find out that I get to open for someone, then I spend time learning a song that I’m passionate about and then the result is I get to share that with people that want to listen to
me,” Zamora said. “I just feel so deeply about music, and I hope I can make at least one person feel how I feel when I play it”. She was also chosen to
three sons of the Romero fam
STRUMMING ALONG: Senior Jianna Zamora strums along in Guitar class. Zamora is the teachers assistant for the guitar classes. PHOTO BY Reagan Tso
COOKED TO PERFECTION: Jeremy Duran, senior chef in Bowie’s culinary program showcases his nearly perfected sesame chicken recipe. This deluxe meal took him years to perfect starting all the way back in quarantine when he first found his love for cooking. PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill
SCAN TO SEE MORE VIDEO BY Nick Wood
ART BY Isabella Verette
Debate team inspires young learners
Local middle schoolers receive instruction from newly formed Bowie mentoring program
Alice Goss Dispatch Reporter
Searching through the bustling halls of Bowie at the beginning of a new school year, for the first time freshmen will be walking into John Mast’s debate class with prior knowledge and skills all thanks to two students, seniors Larkin Bock and Olivia Baird.
Bock and Baird are the co-founders of the Gorzycki Mentor Debate Club. They meet almost every Thursday at Gorzycki to teach new skills and build confidence in any student interested in debate.
“We work with a range of sixth to eighth graders and try to keep the club pretty laid back,” Baird said. “We shift focus every week to what they feel unsure about after a competition, whether it be their cases or how to respond to certain arguments.”
Bowie’s debate program is led by Mast, and Bock and Baird have both been involved in the program since their freshman years. Baird is captain of the debate team, and Bock is the World Schools event chair.
“The Bowie debate team is the collection of grades in the competition debate class,” Baird said. “Different events will come together to prepare for tournaments, by compiling cases and creating back files of evidence for responses. There’s a competition available almost every weekend either at local high schools, in nearby Texas districts or nationally.”
Students who join Bowie’s debate team can participate in a range of events like Public Forum, Congress, Extemp, and World Schools. It was important to Bock and Baird that the program offered a variety of skills
that would be transferable between different events if the students chose to continue debate in high school.
“Recently we helped them create their debate profiles which allows them to compete in real tournaments with high schoolers,” Bock said. “We also help them rewrite arguments and teach different techniques for different cases. My favorite thing is seeing them adapt to new skills quickly and gaining confidence through the practice time we give them.”
The program not only offers students the chance to learn advanced skills, but gives Bowie-bound students the opportunity to skip debate one and take the debate two course their freshman year and join the varsity team.
Larkin Bock
really eye opening in my own argumentation as well and I’ve also gotten to see the difference Larkin and I can make by showing new debaters that they have someone in their corner, win or lose.”
The program was started early last fall in 2024, when Bock learned of the new debate class at Gorzycki. She started to reflect on her personal experience in debate as a freshman, and wanted to find a way to guide those students so they wouldn’t be going into debate in high school feeling as blind as she felt.
“My favorite thing is seeing them adapt to new skills quickly and gaining confidence.”
Senior
“Gorzycki’s debate class is a very recent development, but the program prepares them for much more than what is offered in debate one at Bowie,” Bock said. “So, it was important to Olivia and I that the students were being rewarded for the extra work they were putting in.”
The middle schoolers are not the only ones benefiting from the program. Bock and Baird are gaining teaching and mentoring experience as well as another thing to add to their college resumes as their senior years come to a near close.
“This program has taught me how much I really enjoy the coaching aspect of debate,” Baird said. “Being on the other side of the round has been
“When I entered debate I was very lost and wished I had more guidance, I wanted to create a club to help bridge the gap,” Bock said. “It definitely was a rocky start for me, I switched between events a few times and felt extremely unprepared for almost every round my freshman year. I kept losing and I was frustrated because I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I pushed myself to grow and figure it out, but my goal is to make sure less and less kids have to go through that each year.”
The kid’s who put in extra time outside of school through the program are also improving quickly in class. Matthew Balter who teaches debate at Gorzycki has seen a lot of improvement since the program started and is very excited for its continuation.
“The change is quite impressive,” Balter said. “Those who have regularly attended the program have heightened their skill in writing, research, and ability to draw connections in their argument.”
When Baird and Bock first introduced the idea to Mast, he was unsure of how it would develop and what effects it would have on both schools.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing Larkin and Olivia grow throughout their years here at Bowie,” Mast said. “And now I get to see them use their skills and pass them down to the next group of kids who will come to Bowie.”
The program will have long-term effects on both schools, by allowing students who were in the club to go straight to varsity, Bowie’s debate team is hoping to see an increase in students and experience in the next coming years, which is hoped to lead to a mutual benefit for the schools.
“Bowie is able to help Gorzycki through the program by getting kids involved with debate,” Baird said. “While Gorzycki is helping Bowie by having kids come in who already know
what they’re doing, allowing them to progress faster on the varsity circuit.”
It is very important to Bock and Baird that the program is continued after they graduate as well, so that many more students can benefit from the system they have set up.
“Olivia and I are soon going to need to consider our replacement,” Bock said. “We want someone who understands the importance of challenging the kids, but will bring their own ideas and techniques to the program as well.”
Olivia Baird
and Baird originally thought possible. Gorzycki students have developed many skills, and the relationship between Gorzycki’s team and Bowie’s has grown significantly.
“This program has taught me how much I really enjoy the coaching aspect of debate.”
The program has been very successful over the past year and has had more positive outcomes than Bock
Senior
“I am looking forward to the growing relationship between our two schools,” Bock said. “Olivia and I have offered the students a lot, but they’ve taught us a lot as well. They’re extremely skilled and already doing things I don’t think I’d ever be able to do, so I’m excited for their futures and our team’s future.”
Film frenzy: students create short movie in timed event
Charlotte Schwarte Feature Editor
Blood is all she can see. Lungs breathing faster and faster. Eyes blinded by panic, she stumbles out of the house. Her heart pounds in her chest, each beat frantic.
On August 17, 2024, this scene came to life as a short film for the San Antonio 48-Hour Film Project. Among the participants were three Bowie students; sophomores Liam Sullivan and Ashley Marcus, and junior Violet Burroughs. Over two days, the group worked with a given prompt to simultaneously write, film, and edit their own short film.
“The environment was so creative and fun, especially because almost all the cast and crew were people my age,” Sullivan said. “We were able to connect with each other but still maintained a professional setting.”
The short film created was in the horror genre and titled “Eyes Open”. The plot follows a girl meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, but the trip takes a turn as her memory comes back in flashes of blood.
“Acting in a horror film was really a dream come true, because I’ve always loved acting, and horror movies are my favorite type of film, so combining the two was really special,” Sullivan said.
Marcus is the student who orchestrated the project, as she’s been involved with theatre and film for quite some time. This past summer, she attended a camp that focused on film-making, and with the experience gained a group of friends that together planned the film fest entry.
“I really enjoyed being at film camp because I learned so much and loved meeting new people,” Marcus said. “All the information I used in the 48-Hour Film, like directing, cinematography, and editing, I learned at camp.”
The friends Marcus met at the School of Creative & Performing Arts Film Camp (SOCAPA) formed the crew for the short film, each of them flying down from their home states of California and Arizona. Some contributed virtually, creating an original music soundtrack with a limited amount of time, according to the needs of the film.
“I met all these people, and we decided we
worked really well together,” Marcus said. “So, we wanted to do more films outside of the camp too.”
Marcus recruited the other Bowie students, Sullivan and Burroughs, through her knowledge and previous participation of Bowie theater, which both of the actors have participated in over the years. Sullivan and Burroughs were two of the four actors featured in the film, and this was both their first performance in front of the camera.
“It was scary, nerve-wracking,” Burroughs said. “I felt like I was going to embarrass myself a little bit, but once I got used to the flow of it, it was easier to act. I didn’t have to focus on other people and worry about what they thought.”
One of the only two adult actors, De’Ann Connely, came to be involved in the film through a close friendship with Marcus’s family. Connely is a professional actor, starring in movies, commercials, and now her first 48-Hour Project.
“It was great watching the kids work together and create art,” Connely said. “They had some wonderful ideas, and I think it came out very well for a first project. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”
The competition was designed so that after the prompt was given, the countdown started for teams, giving them 48 hours before their films were due. Because of the time restraint, filming, editing, and scriptwriting took place at the same time.
“Shooting was exhausting, especially after all the writing and preparation we had to do the night prior,” Marcus said. “It was all a big rush of adrenaline doing everything at once, but it was so exciting.”
The team took sleeping shifts, with some working while the others rested. As finished products would be submitted online, the filming location was up to the group’s judgment, and they chose an Airbnb in Austin.
“The cast’s work ethic was so incredible,” Sullivan said. “From writing the script in only hours to editing in the middle of the night, and shooting the film from early in the morning to late at night, they did not stop working.”
The film-making process combines multiple mediums like cinematography, acting, writing, and editing, but the crew used the time con-
straint to share their knowledge and grow from the experience.
“We all just gave each other a lot of feedback,” Marcus said. “If there was something that made it too complicated, the rest of us would let them know it would be hard to execute for filming.”
In early October, after “Eyes Open” was submitted, the group attended an award show and viewing in San Antonio. It was there that they discovered they’d been nominated for Best Use of Character.
“Watching the other short films, there was a wide range of experience and acting from people who competed, and some of them were really
good,” Sullivan said. “I was in shock because of our age difference with others competing, but I really did think that our film was so good. I was impressed with how everything worked out.”
While the “Eyes Open” film did not ultimately win an award, the group plans to continue their short film journey, and both Burroughs and Marcus hope to pursue similar projects as a career.
“This experience taught me to have more appreciation for film and film crews, as well as to experience firsthand the excitement of putting together something meaningful,” Marcus said. “It’s something to be proud of, because not many teenagers are doing this.”
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: The film crew sets up for another take in front of the camera. Over two days, the group wrote, filmed, and edited to compete in the San Antonio 48 Hour Project. PHOTO COURTESY OF Ashley Marcus
INSTRUCTING STUDENTS: Olivia Baird stands in front of the Gorzycki Middle Schoolers. Baird and Larkin Bock have been mentoring the students on debate, to prepare them for high school. PHOTO BY Reagan Tso
competed in by the Gorzycki Debate Team
Gorzycki Mentor Debate Club
ART BY Charlotte Schwarte
Lacrosse begins a drive for support
Chris King donates his 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in order to finance future needs
Ryan Zuniga Photo Essay Editor
This year, the lacrosse team held a car raffle for a 1970 Ford Mustang. To enter the raffle, participants must have been 18 or older and purchase a ticket. For just $100 per ticket, participants had a chance to win the car while supporting the growth of lacrosse. Only 600 tickets were available for the public to purchase. The raffle was available for participants around the country.
“One of the players on the team, their parents had the car and they weren’t going to be doing anything with it any longer, so they went ahead and put it up for a raffle,”
Boys lacrosse booster club president Venessa Kimball said. “The car is currently being held at Maxwell Ford off I-35.”
The lacrosse team is not UIL-sanctioned and, therefore isn’t recognized as a sport that has to do with academics within the school and receives no funding.
The Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) takes the place of UIL and creates well-formed lacrosse programs.
the current team. After the game, Claudette Henderson was announced the winner of the raffle. Henderson lives in Wisconsin, so the car had to be transported out to her.
“The idea was inspired by lacrosse parents and the board of directors,” Youth director Stockstill said. “We’ve been promoting through Facebook groups, car groups, social media, physical posters at our sponsors, businesses, and word-of-mouth.”
Chris King was the one who decided to donate his car to the program. His son, Gage, is a part of the lacrosse team. Chris is the fourth owner of the car.
“My dad has been rebuilding Mustangs for decades and is in all the Mustang clubs,” Chris said. “My dad told one of his buddies if he ever was willing to part with the 1970 Mach 1, to let him be the first one to have a shot at it. This gentleman in Lubbock was only the third owner, and he has about eight cars, so one day, he just said he would love for my dad and I to have the vehicle.”
"Last year it took $100,000 to run a lacrosse program, and that was just the bare minimum of costs." Venessa Kimball
President of Boys Lacrosse
“Since we are not UIL sanctioned,” Kimball said. “We have to pay for field space, referee salaries, medical staff, photography, and the fuel for the lights at Small Middle School for practices.”
Since 285 raffle tickets were sold, about $28,500 was raised. The program also raises money by holding wreath sales during the holidays and sending out emails called Teen Snap asking for donations.
“There is a whole process you have to go through to get UIL sanctioned,” Kimball said. “There have to be petitions, you have to have a percentage of how many people within the state of Texas agree that lacrosse, girls or boys needs to be approved, and we’d have to have an advocate.”
The lacrosse program annually holds an alumni game that invites past players to play against
According to Hagerty Insurance, people can expect to pay around $48,000 for a 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in good condition.
“We are always looking for ways to help non-profits and it’s very difficult to raise funds for club sports, it takes a lot with no UIL support,” Chris said. “Think of all the things we take for granted like the uniforms, nice helmets, pads, practice field, etc. So, I just asked one of the board members if they would like to attempt a raffle and I would be willing to give up the Mustang at a big discount for it.” 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 cars were only produced from 1969 to 1973. However, many new generations and updates to the car have been produced since.
“For most of the Mach 1 cars, it’s hard to find them with the shaker still on the vehicle,” Chris said. “It’s a great vehicle but if you’re not mechanically sound classic cars are probably not ideal for you. They take a lot of work to maintain and keep running.”
PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
THE
have to start
PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
READY TO DRIVE: The car sits near the athletic building as the alumni game takes place.1970 Ford Mustangs can vary based off its mileage, condition, and history. “We try not to do a lot of fundraisers,” Boys lacrosse booster club president Venessa Kimball said. “So, we increase the dues so that way we don’t have to ask them all of the time.” PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
RUNNING FAST: Junior Haq Newton runs with the ball in his stick across the field during the alumni game. Newton has been playing lacrosse for five years. “The car raffle will help us pay for balls, pads, equipment, and pay our coaches,” Newton said. “We also need money to go into funding our trips for tournaments.”
PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
Dear World, Save the
The growing movement to protect the tiny, mighty heroes of the ecosystem
Elizabeth Yowell Junior Editor-in-Chief
Buzzing to the tempo of his wings, a bee, in the crowd of many, graces the Texas Wildflower Center with fuzzy streaks of black and yellow as he pollinates one thriving blossom after another. His tiny wings moving against the garden’s winds, are doing their not-so-tiny part to keep the ecosystem alive.
The small but mighty insects play a major role in the survival of crops and wildlife all throughout Texas and the United States, but their populations are declining at a rate many experts find unsettling. In recent years, many have joined the fight for their protection in fear of losing the mighty
THE BEES
The fuzzy buzzers, which inhabit zones on almost every continent, are well known for being one of the world's largest pollen contributors. According to a study published in The Conversation, there are approximately 3.5 trillion honey bees worldwide, or about 440 per person.
“It’s kind of hard when you’re looking at a singular bee and you think, wow, that is so small I could just kill it, but they really are a massive part of our ecosystem,” Bowie bee club president Pluto Trippe said.
The job of a honey bee is one that many animals and insects have, but there are several reasons that bees are the front runners. Nona Evans, the Founder of the non-profit organization Whole Kids Foundation and owner of over 90 hives of feral bees along with her husband, cited that pollinators account for a third of the food on our plates, with honey bees making up 7080% of that third.
“There are really several facets to the honey bee connection with our environment, and it all stems around pollination,” Evans said. “So, the connection that most readers will know and should care about is that honey bees are responsible for an incredible amount of the food that we eat.”
All pollinators, including honey bees, play an important role in more than just food production. The ecosystems are made of a web of organisms that live off of each other, plants and animals alike, and the collapse of an ecosystem often comes from a disruption in the balance in the relationship between these organisms.
“Bees are not the only pollinators, but they are one of the biggest,” bee club vice president Palmer Schmitt said. “People don't understand how big of a deal it really is, because pollinating does help plants grow, but it also helps them spread their seeds properly. It helps them grow up, not only faster, but a lot stronger.”
make them more resilient to our climate,” Evans said. “They're adapted to our super hot summers, our droughts, all the crazy weather that we have here. And the same can be said for bees in other parts of the country, they adapt to their environment and their genetics evolve to help them survive in the places that they live.”
In Texas, the honey bees deal with a variety of vegetation diversity, including the Texas famous wildflowers, which attract pollinators like honey bees. In an article from Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) in 2023, associate professor of entomology for the AAES Neel Joshi, described how colors help bees identify sources of pollen and nectar.
“Bees definitely play a big role here in Texas, the ones at Bowie, they love to take from the Wildflower Center, which is nearby and home to the majority of flowers in the area,” Schmitt said. “Plants grow much more consistently when they're pollinated, they don't have as many struggles to worry about. A lot of plants in Texas rely on pollination to help them grow.”
POPULATION DECLINE
In recent years, the world’s honey bees are facing several environmental factors that are threatening their population. According to an article from Penn State, several studies have shown that beekeepers have lost approximately 30 percent of their population each year since 2006.
Nona Evans Bee keeper
"It’s kind of hard when you’re looking at a singular bee and you think, wow, that is so small I could just kill it, but they really are a massive part of our ecosystem "
“It’s becoming hard for them to live, with humans being their number one threat,” Trippe said.
“Then we are also being a threat to the environment, that becomes a threat to them as well.”
tree is that it's either dying or dead and with all of the weather and the climate change that we've had of late, the crazy freezes and the storms that we're having are blowing down more and more dead trees.”
Some of the threats that bees face are threats common to nature, those that would affect colony survival regardless of human intervention, including other animals like voreala mites who, according to a 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are responsible for almost half of bee population stressors.
“They are parasites that both bite and feast on the bee, but more importantly, they get into the cells of the honeycomb where the larva are developing, and draw the fat out of those developing larva so that the bees that are then born are deformed and can't thrive,” Evans said.
Though threats like parasites, and other predators are a part of the natural ecosystem, the decline in honey bee population is largely in part to the human interaction with their habitat. Human use of agricultural land, and the way that they use it, can pose a number of threats to a honey bee's source of food and shelter.
“Another thing I always like to educate on are pesticides and herbicides,” Evans said. “There's an herbicide called a neonicotinoid, and it is especially damaging to our honey bee colonies. “
Bees face a number of environmental and human threats to their populations, and without action, the pattern in their population decline might result in consequences to world ecosystems more dire than many are grasping.
done, but I like to see all of the legislation that's coming, that's reducing or creating safer pesticides,” junior bee club member Emily LeJeune said. ”I also like to see that some regular farmers who aren't beekeepers at all, are keeping bees on their farms.”
destroying bee hives near your house, and more.
Although the world is home to a plethora of different ecosystems, bees are present in almost each and every one. Their environmental contributions span across large ranges of climates and vegetation types.
“The evolution of their genetics tends to
Honey bees are up against a number of challenges for survival, with pressure from many of these increasing in the past few decades. Climate change is one of these factors. According to an article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the warming of the planet and changes in weather patterns are altering the synchrony between flowering plants and their pollinators.
“There's a term called colony collapse. And the confusing thing is, it's not one thing, it's the summation of many things,” Evans said. “Honey bees specifically prefer to live in the hollowed out trunks of trees. What we know about a hollow
“They're fighting, but the numbers are going down,” Schmitt said. “Everything goes back to living off plants at some point in the food chain. And bees are incredibly important for plant life. So, if bees go away, the plants die down. And then the bugs that eat the plants die, and the birds that eat the bugs die, and then it's a big issue. It's like taking a piece out of a Jenga tower.”
PROTECTIVE EFFORTS
However, hope for the bees to overcome the decline reported in the past years is not lost. There are several efforts world-wide to combat the many threats faced by honey bees, from legislative regulations to organizations, to clubs like the one here at Bowie.
“There's still a lot of work to be
In Austin particularly, there are several large groups and organizations that are dedicated to the protection of bees. There are beekeeping associations for almost every county in Texas, where beekeepers can come together to share experiences.
“I always tell people, if you have a plant outside that sits in one of those saucers, pick one saucer and just let it get all mucky with algae,” Evans said. “That algae that forms is really nutritious for our bees. And once you've learned a little bit, share it with others, because not enough people truly understand how important and how fascinating honey bees are.”
Nona Evans
"Once you've learned a little bit, share it with others, because not enough people truly understand how important and how fascinating honey bees are "
“There are lots of efforts happening at the state level, like the University of Texas has a Bee-vo society that is working to educate students about the wonders of honey bees,” Evans said. “There are lots of educational efforts, and there are non-profit organizations that are doing what they can.”
There are several things every individual can do to protect the pollinator population, including planting flowers and gardens, opting for organic food products that specify no use of herbicides and pesticides, simply refraining from
Efforts like Evan’s and her husband’s program, Texas Sassy Bees, which sponsors schools to keep bee hives, provide education on the importance of pollinators to kids of several ages.
Bee Keeper
“You don’t have to know everything,” Trippe said. “There’s so much that people don’t know and it’s kind of sad. I’m really hoping that as we kind of grow as a society, and we have the realization that, hey, climate change is affecting us, we can also have the realization that we need the bees.”
Between organizations, educational programs, and clubs like the one here at Bowie, there are several efforts towards protecting the population of pollinators that are so influential in our environment's success.
“People are starting to pay more attention to how crucial bees are for our everyday life,” LeJeune said.
“There's a saying that goes ‘if bees went extinct, human populations would go extinct, and people really doubt that, but it's true.”
ART BY: Elizabeth Yowell
Liberty Pittman
Junior-Editor-in-Chief
The door opens, as math teacher Kelly Flickinger is teaching her lesson, revealing police officers. The class stops and stares as a student is escorted out of the room. Lesson forgotten, the question on everyone’s mind was ‘what happened?’. In this case, the student who was removed was pulled because they had made threatening statements during the passing period. As more and more threats are posted online or spread by word of mouth each day, it becomes harder for school administrators and safety personnel to quickly and accurately assess whether or not the threats are valid. According to the Everytown website, there have been a minimum of 200 instances of gunfire in schools since the start of 2024, which is more than the recorded number in 2023. With this rise in threatening behavior on school grounds, accurate threat assessment could be more important than ever.
“I think students realize, hey, this is kind of a big deal,” Flickinger said. “This is the safety of others, this is important. I think it is important for kids to know we take this seriously. think kids feel safe knowing that there is attention being brought to stuff, and it’s not just ignored or brushed under the rug, because that’s when unsafe things happen. More knowledge and more information is going to cause intelligence and hopefully a safer environment.”
EMERGENCY PREP AND MANAGEMENT
In 2019 the Texas Senate passed Bill 11 (TEC; 37.115) which made it a state requirement that all schools have a Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) team. According to AISD the SSSP team is responsible for threat assessment and determining the appropriate actions to take, and the team includes members with varied backgrounds including school administration, counseling, behavioral management, school safety/security, law enforcement, and more. One of the members of this team was former Assistant Principal Hector Munoz who has left Bowie and will work at another school.
“We all have to be trained in threat assessment behaviors, and all as administrators go through that course, we have to be certified,” Munoz said.
what to do in the case of an emergency.”
After threat assessment is done the campus principal and AISD administration are in charge of information distribution. According to the poll of Bowie students, 69.4% of students believe it is very important that the school clearly communicates safety issues to them. However 34.8% of students believe the school communicates safety issues somewhat poorly, and 22.3% of students believe the school communicates them very poorly.
“Threats get posted a lot more than students even realize,” Flickinger said. “It is great when students are made aware of threats immediately, and know they are being looked into by administration. However it is important to evaluate rumors before announcing there is a threat, and when students do believe rumors without further information it can make it seem like there was a threat when there wasn’t one. When threats are authentic the administrators do their best to make sure everyone has all the information they need.”
In order to prepare for potential disasters, students, teachers, and administrators participate in many drills. These include hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, and shelter.
and supervision. According to the Texas State Law Library in the state of Texas minors aren’t permitted to own firearms unless under specific circumstances. Under the AISD student code of conduct, students may not bring any weapons or intimidation weapons onto campus.
“The weapon policy that kind of makes sense, no bringing weapons, but students still do it,” Milla said. “I’ve heard of it from people bringing knives or pocket knives. I do feel like sometimes weapons can be safe because you never know what’s going to happen at school, but I also feel like students are kind of provoking something by having a weapon with them. ”
Other items prohibited by the AISD student code of conduct include drugs, alcohol, all vape products, tobacco products, and any items mimicking drugs or contraband. Although they are prohibited, Milla believes that substances are a major safety concern, and has had experiences where she feels the restrooms on campus are unusable due to people’s substance use.
down. That’s going to cost money too, and right now we’re in a deficit.” Bowie serves over 2,900 students as well as over 200 teachers and staff. To help ensure that everyone on campus can be identified Bowie provides ID’s to all students and staff. Staff ID’s can be scanned at the door to provide entrance into the building, while student ID’s do not have that ability, they are meant to be required for a student to use a hall pass, and can be scanned to check out books or get lunch food. The ID policy states that everyone on campus should always have their ID in clear view during school hours, and only take them off with the permission of a teacher.
“ think the students in my class feel loved and appreciated, and feel the same way from them. That makes me feel safe.”
“We don’t do enough safety practice and we don’t do it often enough,” sophomore Liam Sullivan said. “We don’t really know certain variables. If something happened during passing periods or during lunch, we wouldn’t know what to do.” Bowie administration uses other devices than drills to help educate students on how to stay safe, they also create lessons given to students by teachers either during class or during mandatory FIT sessions. On October 7, there was a FIT session about online safety and the warning signs of someone who may want to harm others.
Kelly Flickinger Math Teacher
“Substance use is very concerning because it happens all the time in the bathrooms,” Milla said. “We see people vaping in the bathrooms, zoning out, and just being in an unwell state. Students can bring their little pen and no one ever notices that. Sometimes they even take it out during class, and it’s very concerning how easy they can do it and how much confidence they have. It makes me concerned, because feel like at one point I’m gonna get pressure to do it, and I really don’t want to.”
“ID’s allow everybody to know whether people are supposed to be on campus or not,” Flickinger said. “When I walk into a building and see someone who definitely doesn’t look like a student, I see that they have an AISD badge on, so don’t have to stress out. know that they’re supposed to be here. For our students themselves, think it creates familiarity. It allows me to kind of feel connected to students that I wouldn’t have in my classroom, which is probably silly for other people, but for me, it’s about culture, that’s what makes me feel safe.”
The AISD student success guide, Code of Conduct for 2024-25 is 65 pages and outlines student and district rights and responsibilities, intervention strategies, and lists behaviors or possessions that could result in disciplinary actions, as well as what those disciplinary actions would be. The Bowie Baseline Expectations guide hits some simplified main priorities of the campus which are phone-free learning, limited hall passes, cooperation with reasonable request, and to always wear ID’s.
“Bowie handles threats by making us go to a fit and talk about it, they do it by making us have a conference,” junior Alison Milla said. “They haven’t really been reaching out to students that much, and they haven’t shown that they care about students’ mental health. They should be making adults reachable, making teachers more reachable, and encouraging them to have a relationship with students, to really talk to them. Sometimes the teachers are the only people who the students feel safe with.”
EVERYDAY THREATS TO SAFETY
There are other problems for schools that aren’t as obvious as a threatening phone call, but still impact students. These include bullying and similar behavior. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics(NCES), in the 2021-22 school year 19.2% of students in grades 6-12 reported being bullied in school, some of the most common forms of bullying reported were being the subject of rumors, being insulted or made fun of, being pushed, tripped, shoved, or spit on, or being purposefully excluded.
Alison Milla Junior
“The school doesn’t really show that they care about it, and I’m scared that if tell them how I’m feeling, they might just make me watch a video.”
According to Cleveland Clinic vaping can lead to serious health problems such as damage to the lungs and other organs, cancer, addiction, and potential future cigarette use. Many E-cigarettes contain a pod with the liquid that is heated to create the aerosol vapor like substance which is inhaled. According to the CDC the liquid in vapes is normally a combination of water, flavoring, nicotine, cannabis, propylene glycol, or vegetable glycerin.
“Do I believe that if students come under the influence, it affects other students? Yes,” Munoz said. “If a student is under the influence, they’re not going to be able to learn. We’ve had instances on this campus in the past where students vape something not knowing what’s in the vape, and then, consequently, they have an allergic reaction or something bad happens in their organs and internally and that causes them to go to the hospital. Absolutely substances play into school safety because one, it’s illegal, two, you don’t know what’s in it, and three, we don’t know how your body is going to react to it, and how to treat it.”
“There’s not really much we can do to change the times, so we might as well change our rules and set standards to make sure bad things don’t happen,” freshman Baz Del Negro said. “100% it needs to be way different, needs to be way better. We have a lot of systems that just don’t work, and a lot of contradictory rules that are just confusing, and it could be a lot simpler for teachers and students.” The environment students are in can affect how safe they feel. According to EHS Insight the best ways to ensure students feel safe in the classroom is to set clear rules and boundaries, encourage group activities, show respect, keep people calm, and adapt to individual students.
“ There’s not really much we can do to change the times, so we might as well change our rules and set standards to make sure bad things don’t happen.” Baz Del Negro Freshman
“Once a threat has been issued, we as administrators, link up and start to follow that checklist that the district gives us, and guidelines and procedures. Then we incorporate our SROs, and our counselors, and there’s a threat assessment team on campus that I’m ahead of as well. We coordinate together, and we evaluate the student and then whether they fall into one caveat or the next, it’s after that investigation.”
AISD’s emergency management system includes preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, community engagement, and compliance. Their goal is to ensure the safety of everyone; students, staff, and the local community, in all types of emergency situations.
According to a poll of 311 Bowie students, 41.2% of students feel only slightly confident about the schools ability to protect them in an emergency situation, and 26% of students feel not at all confident.
“We have systems set in place to evacuate classrooms,” Flickinger said. “We know what those are. We practice those. I don’t feel like my students would freak out and not know how to get out of the classroom. Our school does a good job at making sure that we follow the state standards and AISD standards to make sure that students know
“I do believe bullying is a problem at Bowie, especially racial bullying,” Milla said. “I feel like it doesn’t really get a consequence, and students are not really scared to do it. People have been doing it on social media and many other platforms, and I feel like it hasn’t been addressed. The school doesn’t really show that they care about it, and I’m scared that if tell them how I’m feeling, they might just make me watch a video or do some activity that’s not gonna help me in any way”
Bullying can lead to physical outbursts and violence by both the bully and the victim, which can be made worse when there are weapons present. According to the American Knife and Tool Institute, in the state of Texas a minor is allowed to own a knife, they just can’t carry them without adult consent
CURRENT ENVIRONMENT AND POLICIES
The Bowie campus is located on 60 acres of land and contains three main buildings, the academic, athletic, and fine arts buildings, as well as portables. The main area of the school has two primary entrances, the doors in the front by the office and the bus gate in the back. There are also doors at the end of every downstairs hallway. “Being an open campus, stuff can come in and out,” Munoz said. “Whether it’s homeless people from the Velloway that kind of trickle in, or snakes; we’ve had them. Just being so large and not being fully 100% surrounded by a fence or something like that, where there’s a one way in, one way out, that’s probably the biggest threat to safety, being an open campus and not having the capacity to kind of lock it all the way down. We could build a 20 foot fence around it, and even then, when we do that in the back, people still come around and knock it
“I feel safe, and I think a lot of it has to do with the environment that create in my classroom,” Flickinger said. “I feel safe with my students, so I feel safe in my environment. think the students in my class feel loved and appreciated, and I feel the same way from them. That makes me feel safe, at least in my small space. When I’m out in the hallways and I notice certain things, I think those are the times that would not feel safe, and could see why a student would feel unsafe.”
The AISD police department stations two school resource officers (SROs) at every high school in the district, there are 43 SROs out of a total 82 full-time AISD police officers.
“I think some students might see campus security as this presence of authority, which is kind of like administration, but I think it’s a different feeling of authority,” Flickinger said. “I know that security is needed, but I think there’s moments when security is around, I don’t necessarily feel safer. It kind of makes me a little bit anxious. It definitely makes me feel more aware and heightened, which obviously could help towards safety. think I would prefer seeing those people actually doing something like checking the bathroom instead of just, kind of just walking the hallway, going into places where we feel like there are issues.” If students would like to report a safety issue at the school whether something threatening them or someone else they can talk to their counselor, AP, teacher, or any adult on campus they feel comfortable talking to. There are also other resources for students like AISD’s Let’s Talk reporting system which is anonymous, or the QR codes posted outside bathrooms around the Bowie campus.
“Teachers are the first line of defense, god forbid, someone comes through the door and wants to hurt us, I’m the first person that’s going to be there to stop them,” Munoz said. “As teachers, we model for our students what’s right and wrong. We should all be wearing our ID and should be talking to students when they walk in, saying good morning or good afternoon. If you feel like you
Basketball games
Boys varsity team hosts tournament at Bowie leading to third place victory for the ‘Dawgs
The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team hosted a tournament in the big gym from December 5-7. The ‘Dawgs went 4-1 in the tournament, taking victories over Lehman, LBJ Austin, and Vandegrift.
“After getting third place and going 4-1 I believe we are finally starting to get it as a team,” guard Joshua Baskin said. “After getting our players back from injury, I feel that we are doing the right things to prepare for upcoming district play.”
In their first game of the tournament against Lehman, the Bulldogs won 84-23. The ‘Dawgs maintained a giant lead the entire game.
“We’re getting back to winning basketball,” center Lamin Jabbi said.
After securing their first win of the tournament, Bowie went up against a tough LBJ Austin team. The game was extremely close until the final buzzer with the Bulldogs winning a really tight game by a score of 48-46.
“We all played our part and we did what we needed to do to win,” guard Micheal Lu said. This win gave the ‘Dawgs a 2-0 record in the tournament and it showed. Going into the next game against Vandegrift, the ‘Dawgs energy rode high and the score reflected that. Junior guard Drew Elizando took a shot just seconds before the half-time buzzer, securing an extra three points for the Dawgs and wrapping up the first half of the game.
“We probably played our best game of the year against Vandegrift,” coach Joseph Pendal said.
The game started strong for Bowie but ultimately peaked in performance in the second half, with the ‘Dawgs gaining a double-digit lead over the Vipers.
“In the Vandegrift game I came off the bench and played solid defense and aggressive offense,” guard Derrick Osobase said.
With a final score of 58-49 Bowie, this match-up added a third consecutive victory to the Bulldogs tournament record.
Following the win over Vandegrift, the Bulldogs took their only tournament loss against Cedar Hill with a final score of 73-59.
“I think that at the beginning we were doing well resounding-wise and hitting shots but I feel we didn’t come out into the second half as well as we should’ve and that cost us our lead,” Osobase said. “At the end of the day, I think we should’ve beat them but it was a good learning experience.”
In the final game in the tournament for Bowie was a rematch against LBJ Austin. Both teams came into the game aggressively, and eager to win due to the close last game. Despite LBJ being eager for the win, the ‘Dawgs won by an even bigger point differential than the previous match-up.
“Our team played well in both games against LBJ,” Lu said. “I think our team is getting hot at the right time and we continue to get better every single game.” Overall, the tournament was a win for the Bulldogs, exiting with four big wins. The ‘Dawgs played with intensity and got to face off against teams they don’t normally see such as Lehman from Kyle as well as Cedar Hill.
“I think this was a very competitive tournament and everybody played their best,” Osobase said. “Without this tournament, we would not have seen what competition is outside of Austin.”
In the end, the Bulldogs got third place and played well throughout the tournament, which showed steps in the right direction, according to Pendal.
“It was a really good step forward for us,” Pendal said. “The team is making big steps in the right direction and is prime to be a fierce competitor for any team in its way.”
STORY BY Will Olenick
Alumni dominate annual game
Bowie boys lacrosse take on former players ending with a surprising score
Caroline Baxter Sports Editor
Older generation vs. younger generation; Stockstill vs. Stockstill; coaches vs. players. Who will come out on top in Bowie’s lacrosse alumni game?
This game started in 2020 and has become an annual thing.
Starting a few years ago in the midst of COVID, the Bowie lacrosse alumni night is a major thing for both the team and the alumni. Preparation goes into account who will be decided as the winner.
“We are preparing all year round, not only for the alumni game but for our other games as well,” junior Daniel Sinton said. “I believe that plays into our success because we are already training and getting ready for season games while also thinking about the alumni game.”
To have good preparation and a good team, a good coach is what is needed to tie everything together. Named 2023 Central District Assistant Coach of the Year, Will Laurel is in his second year as head coach of the Bulldog lacrosse team. Laurel earned many prestigious accolades during his lacrosse career.
“I began playing lacrosse in 8th grade and instantly fell in love with the sport. After graduating from Bowie, I attended Texas State University, where I was a four-year starter and earned All-Conference Goaltender honors three times,” Laurel said. “When the head coaching position at Bowie High School became available, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community that had supported me during my high school years.”
Emotions are always high for sports games. It can be even greater when the head coach is also an alumni and gets to be a part of both sides. This is the case for Laurel.
“I am excited to see old friends and connect with multiple generations of Bowie lacrosse,” Laurel said. “As an alumnus, I also have the opportunity of playing. This allows me to develop my relationship with the team and its players.”
Not only is Laurel excited about this game, but so are his players. Many of the Bowie lacrosse team have played in this alumni game before.
“I’m excited to see the old
alumni who graduated last year,” Sinton said. “I am scared because they are really good and that will be a problem for us.”
This rivalry alumni game ended a lot closer than most people thought. The veteran alumni just barely pulled it through against the high school team.
“The score was 6-5 alumni and it was a lot closer than I would have assumed,” Sinton said. “Coach Laurel said that was the closest alumni game he had been to.”
Even though this is a special game for both sides, the game doesn’t differ much from a usual lacrosse game
which includes four 15-minute quarters.
“It’s a shorter game with shorter quarters,” Sinton said. “Other than that it is a normal game with the same rules and size field as a regular lacrosse game.”
Sinton says lacrosse is a mentally and physically draining sport with all the hits that a player experiences during a long match. Despite the shorter game, it still is physically exhausting like any other lacrosse game or practice.
“There are guys with bruises all over their arms due to the aggressive nature of lacrosse,” Sinton said. “Some of the sticks are made out of
WRESTLING
kevlar or even steel which can hurt a lot.”
There is a good build-up to this game, some could call it a rivalry. Many alumni come into town ready for the win.
“We usually have pretty good numbers, really it depends on who’s in town, but there is always a good mix of older and younger alumni,” Laurel said. “I don’t believe the high school team has beaten the alumni yet.”
There is one interesting reason for this rivalry between teams. Playing on the high school team is sophomore Arlo Stockstill and his opponent on the alumni team? His dad, Adam Stockstill. Adam has a
love for matching up against his son.
“I absolutely love competing against my son. He is a far superior athlete, however, I have years of knowledge and experience to counter that,” Adam said. “Being able to share a passion with a child is one of the most rewarding things as a parent.”
Adam has a lot of previous legacy in the Bowie lacrosse program. Adam was one of the founding members of the boys lacrosse team during the 19911992 school year. However, his lacrosse career didn’t stop.
“I was a sophomore at Bowie and it was me and 15 other kids that started the team,” Adam said. “Fast forward two decades and I have been the youth director for Bowie boys lacrosse for the last six years.” Laurel was very pleased with the result of the game even with his team not taking the victory. He believed it showed some great qualities in the seniors taking charge.
“My biggest takeaway was that we have incredible senior leadership. Our seniors took ownership of the team and held the same expectations as the coaches,” Laurel said. “Usually in alumni games the play is pretty unorganized, but seniors on both sides of the ball were coordinating the offense and the defense.”
In close games like this, it comes down to key standout players on both teams and sides of the ball. Players recognizing their teammates’ distinct efforts brings players into the spotlight.
“Shane Cleary had great handling and was always open to settle the ball so we could make a play,” Sinton said. “Ryan Trueblood brought the ball over in transition playing great defense and offense.”
Bulldogs battle for a spot on varsity wrestling
Sydney Murphy Dispatch Reporter
Lights shine bright in the arena, the crowd’s cheers roar as sophomore Sophie Owensby squares off, the Bowie varsity wrestling team is ready for competition.
According to sophomore Devon Crowe, the Bowie Wrestling Team competes in one of the toughest 6A districts in the country, so competition is tough. They meet everyday for practice and train hard. Dustin Junk took on the role to be the assistant wrestling coach two years ago and has continued to lead the team ever since.
“Humility, respect, relentlessness, and competitiveness are super important for wrestling,” Junk said. “Humility and respect are essential in a sport where athletes are under such a pointed spotlight. Out on the mat, hundreds of athletes and spectators can see how our wrestlers treat their opponents, referees, coaches, and teammates; we expect that they conduct themselves in a way that reflects positively on themselves and their team at all times.”
According to Junk, varsity wrestlers have to carry good traits to be able to be a prominent athlete at Bowie. Although, JV wrestlers have a chance to be moved up to varsity throughout the season.
“Wrestlers are allowed to ‘wrestle-off’ for position. In a wrestle-off, two athletes wrestle a match, and the winner is chosen as the varsity athlete and for that weight class,” Junk said. “It’s coaches’ prerogative to determine who’s allowed to wrestle-off, but we stress friendly, constructive competitiveness
and thus generally allow any athlete in good academic and personal standing to wrestle-off.”
Wrestlers are constantly moving throughout levels. However, Owensby says that strategy is a big part of being a consistent member of varsity.
“One thing I have been doing to be on varsity is I have been picking the right weight class,” Owensby said. “If I choose the right weight class, it eliminates the other people so I have a better chance to be on varsity.”
Weight classes play a big part in varsity decisions and picking the weight class strategically is key. However, even consistent varsity wrestlers don’t have a guaranteed position.
“The beauty of wrestling is that if there is a disagreement about who should represent the school in a varsity position, you can always wrestle for it,” Junk said. “We, unfortunately, have more varsity level wrestlers than varsity positions, but it would be nice if all of our wrestlers were able to compete at the varsity level.”
Although there still are wrestlers not quite at varsity level, the coaches continue to help everyone improve. Sophomore Devon Crowe is currently competing at a varsity level and continues to practice and learn new skills to help her be a better wrestler.
“The coaches have really helped me develop,” Crowe said. “They have helped me practice more moves that I struggled with.”
To excel on Bowie’s wrestling team, the coaches emphasize the importance of learning from mistakes and put effort into improving. The wrestlers should
always have a growth mindset and be ready to develop.
“One thing we stress is that athletes should not try to ‘win’ practice. The goal should be to try new things, push yourself, and learn from failure,” Junk said. “We evaluate wrestlers that push themselves, physically and mentally, higher than those that stay in their comfort zone.”
Athletes put a lot of effort into practice which strengthens their chance to be on varsity. However, the wrestling team is a community and everyone is wanted regardless of skill level, according to Junk,
“We’re one team. JV and varsity wrestlers train together, compete together, and achieve together,” Junk said. “That being said, there can be quite the jump in intensity from the JV to varsity level. Having all our wrestlers practicing together prepares JV wrestlers for that jump.”
DEFENDING HIS PRIDE: Sophomore Haden Elley is defending against offensive coordinator coach Alex Gaskill in the lacrosse alumni game. It is a rivalry between the alumni and the current Bowie lacrosse players. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
LOCKED DOWN: Junior Jesse Sheets holds Nikhil Chaku down on the mat. Sheets recently broke his nose resulting in him having to wear protective masks during practices and tournaments. PHOTO BY Sawyer Daniels
SCAN TO SEE MORE
PHOTOS BY Cooper Ford
Freshman phenom leads lady ‘Dawgs
Breakout
point guard Sydney Ashby helps aid ‘Dawgs to a hopeful playoff appearance
Michael Vienneau Sports Editor
Displaying talent, poise, and maturity much beyond her years, freshman Sydney Ashby was selected to play point guard on varsity girls basketball this year.
The ‘Dawgs have gotten off to a hot start, beginning the season 12-5 with big wins over Vandegrift, Johnson, Reagan and Kileen high schools. Ashby has been a steady face in the lineup, appearing and playing valuable minutes in nearly every game this season.
“My main goals going into this year was just to make varsity and get good playing time,” Ashby said. “I feel like I have achieved both of these goals so far this year, obviously there are a lot of games to play, but I’m happy with how the season started. As long as I keep myself accountable and do all the little things right, I think I can keep up my good playing time.”
Although Ashby is a freshman, she has lots of experience within the basketball circuit. She began picking up the game when she was five years
old, competing against players several years older than her.
“I started off playing in recreational leagues,” Ashby said. “I then began training with my dad in 2nd grade. Basketball really became my main focus in 3rd grade when I joined the Amateur Athletic Union circuit. The game became so much more competitive, and that’s when I realized my passion for the sport.”
Playing in her first year on varsity, Ashby becomes eligible for many end of season awards, including District Newcomer of the Year, a distinguished award given to the best first year varsity player in the district.
“Winning awards at the end of the year is something I definitely strive for,” Ashby said. “If I continue to play with confidence I know I can make an impact. Overall, my team goal is to win the district championship and make a deep playoff run.”
The switch from middle school to high school comes with new expectations in areas not just in sports. Ashby has challenged herself in the classroom taking several advanced classes
“I think having a schedule and getting my prioritization right is something that needs to be done in order for me to be successful this year,” Ashby said. “Balancing school work and basketball can definitely be a challenge because I am in all hard classes which leads to a lot of homework.”
There are currently 351 Division 1 women’s basketball programs. Although Ashby cannot come in contact with college coaches until June 15, 2026 according to NCAA rules, she can still display her talent to coaches across the United States by playing in tournaments outside of the school.
“My teammates have been pushing me to be a better player by also holding me accountable and giving me guidance with the experience that they have,” Ashby said. “Playing in college is definitely a goal for me, ideally at a Division 1 school.”
Senior point guard Nyla Anderson enters her fourth year on varsity. Anderson began her Bowie career in a very similar spot as Ashby, with both players making an immediate impact as only a freshman.
“I really like the way Sydney plays,” Anderson said. “She plays with a lot of confidence, she plays selflessly, and she doesn’t let any moment get too big. She can take control over any game without needing to be just a scorer.”
Anderson was selected as one of the two team captains for the Lady ‘Dawgs. Anderson helped lead the team to a 4-1 record in their most recent tournament in Corpus Christi. She led the team in points and assists throughout the tournament.
“I enjoy going to practice and just being able to listen to music,” Anderson said. “The tournament in Corpus was also really fun. I got a lot closer to my teammates and it definitely had a lot of good moments.”
The ‘Dawgs have a stacked schedule for the next several months with district play starting December 10, when they will host the historically talented Lake Travis Cavaliers. This year poses much different than previous years. With Anderson and Johnson leaving the district, playoff hopeful teams now have an opportunity to fill their spots.
Iesha Collins
level,” Collins said. “I think this was summed up well during the Corpus trip. I was able to bond with the girls and watch them get better while also growing closer as a team.” Collins selected Ashby to be on varsity due to her mentality and hard work. Being a point guard means that there must be elite level connection between the player and the coach.
“Sydney is an instant impact player, who came in with that competitive ‘Dawg-like mentality.”
“Our goal is to win the district,” Anderson said. “The district is more winnable now than years past and I know we have the talent to do so. Besides that, I think we want to make a deep playoff run.”
Girls Basketball Coach
The point guard is known to be the leader of the offense and needs to have a commanding impact on the team.
The Lady ‘Dawgs are led by Coach Iesha Collins. Collins enters her third year at Bowie, with an impressive resume, leading the team to winning records her first two seasons respectively.
“The best part of my job is being able to teach athletes new skills and seeing the girls compete at the highest
“She entered high school with that ‘Dawglike mentality,” Collins said. “She is super competitive and has no problem going up against the best. Being a point guard is super important on our team. I love being able to communicate with Nyla when she plays, and I think Sydney has been able to watch what we do and learn and get even better.”
With seven seniors leaving at the conclusion of this season, it will be up
to three lower classmen to step up and help continue the success of a historically impressive program. The ‘Dawgs are currently ranked 92nd in the state according to MaxPreps, a season high ranking, since the first ranking which came out in early October of this year.
“I think it is a rare occurrence in all programs to have this much young talent,” Collins said. “I am going to enjoy watching all these young ladies develop into phenomenal athletes. We are blessed to have so many good freshman classes and Sydney is just a product of hard work from a young age.”
The ‘Dawgs currently have their sights on the playoffs. Only the top four teams in each district enter the playoffs, where it becomes a bracket format, similar to March Madness, or other collegiate tournaments.
“Sydney has a great career at Bowie ahead of her,” Collins said. “She will be a key part of our goal of capturing a district championship. We have already played a really good number of top teams to ensure that we are ready to climb that mountain. The best way we can achieve this, is just by playing with full effort every game for 32 minutes.”
COMMANDING THE COURT: Sydney Ashby brings the ball up the court. Being the point guard, Ashby calls the plays in order to get the offense started. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
CLAMPING DOWN ON DEFENSE: Sydney Ashby defends the offensive player, assessing what she will do next. As a dynamic guard, Ashby is often assigned to defend the best player on the opposing team. PHOTO BY Cole Wong
Throughly Theater
Vocal checks are a necessity during the rehearsal processes of a musical
Every November, Bowie’s Starlight Theatre Company (STC) starts rehearsal for the main-stage musical, it is the largest production the company puts on with a cast of 80+ students. This 2024-25 season, the STC will be producing Mamma Mia, and as rehearsal’s start, the cast will learn the music.
The students first learn songs as a small group before combining with the rest of the cast. Part of this learning structure includes vocal checks, this requires each individual to sing their part solo for the directors. Many students are debating over whether or not vocal checks are more helpful or hurtful to the process as we prepare for shows.
I believe vocal checks are necessary and beneficial to the learning and preparation of a musical in an educational setting like the STC. The main-stage musical includes 80+ performers, who are split into five vocal groups with about 16 students in each group. This creates a very difficult task for the directors as we learn music, because when there are so many voices it can be difficult to notice a student's individual mistake.
Vocal checks give the directors an accessible way to keep up with the large company, so that they can hear each individual sound contributing to the overall sound. Vocal checks also offer the opportunity to each performer to get individual feedback from the directors.
Students can benefit more from oneon-one critiques than feedback given to the whole group, because the critiques are more personalized to the student. The improvement across the board in each individual performer will raise the overall quality of the music being produced in the musical.
Another benefit of vocal checks is the accountability it builds among students. A vocal check pushes a performer out of their comfort zone so that they can no longer hide behind their cast members. Therefore, the vocal check process helps ensure students know their individual parts confidently, are practicing at home, and forming self critiquing skills.
While keeping these positive effects in mind, it is understandable why vocal checks may turn away prospective musical performers. Vocal checks can cause anxiety among students who are not confident in solo performances and may turn away new performers who are not yet comfortable with the STC directors.
That said, the positive qualities brought to the table by vocal checks outweigh the negative impression formed by some students. The inclusion of vocal checks into the rehearsal process is beneficial for all performers and directors, and is necessary in creating high quality performances.
FINE ARTS
Fifty years of orchestra pride
A modern look at Bowie's first ever classical rock performance
Bentlee Toland Entertainment Editor
One by one, the Bowie orchestra students tune-up for an unforgettable day, ready to showcase the first-ever classic rock performance in Bowie history, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Fall Festival for Strings. The Fall Festival for Strings is one of the largest music events in the district. Approximately 1,000 Austin ISD students participated in the Annual Fall Festival on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
“It was our first time playing something like that,” senior Donovan Cooksey said. “It was a fun experience to learn more about how your instrument works when playing different types of music. I got to learn some more fun pieces to play, that I would typically never play.”
At the classical rock showcase, the elegance of a symphony meets the electrifying energy of a rock concert. Rock classical music fuses diverse rhythms, creating what can be a captivating experience that speaks to the modern soul. While traditional classical embraces formality and history, rock classical breathes new life into the genre.
“Classical rock is different from our typical music,” orchestra vice president senior Gabriela Catalina said. “The rhythms on the page are not meant to be played exactly as written. Also during our performance, we did not play with a conductor and instead had to listen to each other. So, the whole performance was different. Rock music is more commonly heard than our orchestral pieces, which certainly makes it easier to learn new music, as we come in already having a good idea about what the piece should sound like so it was not too hard.”
The orchestra program at Bowie has approximately 130 members. The fall string event is a volunteer activity with about 15 members from Bowie who attended. Fall Fest was mostly attended by beginner orchestra but many senior players will still go.
“I went back to Fall Fest for nostalgia's sake," senior Minh-Tam Dao said. "The last time I went was when I was beginning to learn cello in sixth grade. I think Fall Fest is a fun opportunity to showcase the efforts made so far and build a larger connection with the orchestra as a whole.”
Bowie has been an Honor Orchestra finalist four times and according to Cooksey students often have to work on their craft for years to reach the highest rank. The highest tier of orchestra is SYMPHONIC level 4, with the other levels being Philharmonic, Sinfonietta, and Camerata. As students progress to higher levels, they encounter more challenging pieces and an increase in practice hours.
“I am in the Symphony Orchestra,” Catalina said. “I try to practice every day and have been playing violin since sixth grade. I first joined because I had been fascinated with the violin for most of my life. I had always wanted to understand how the movement of hair across strings could create sound, and I wanted to take part in creating the beautiful music that I had heard others play.”
According to Doa engaging in music can be a valuable form of artistic expression and can also serve as a means of self-challenge. The multitasking involved in playing music stimulates brain activity and promotes the formation of new neural connections, which may contribute to learning and cognitive skills in areas beyond music.
“I gained a lot of listening and communication skills from the orchestra, due to the importance of communication for successful playing as a whole orchestra,” Doa said.
CLUBS
“ I plan to take and use those skills outside of my music career for my future. Music has a unique and fun way of bringing people together, and the relationships I’ve forged from the orchestra prove that.”
The rockestra was the new orchestra teacher David Jarrott's idea. Students believe that Jarrott's methods give a new beginning to the students making them improve in their playing skills.
“Our director is an effective leader,” Catalina said. “I feel that we have begun to sound better than in years past, partly due to Jarrott’s methods. Jarrott has a great sense of humor, cares very much about his students, and accepts only the best from our playing. He pushes us to practice and strive to be the best musicians that we can be. Part of his effectiveness as a leader stems from his confidence in his methods, but also his willingness to accept feedback.”
According to Catalina, students appreciate Jarrott for creating the opportunity to meet players who once competed at their level. The fall strings event may be able to help improve skills in playing but also allows students to socialize with different orchestra levels.
“I would recommend that people continue attending String Fest,” Catalina said. “I think that it helped to mark the beginning of many of our journeys as musicians. It strengthens the relationships we make throughout individual orchestras. I have gotten to know the majority of my closest friends through the orchestra. These people have become so important to me that I could not imagine my life without them. Beyond the musical opportunity that we were given, I appreciated the opportunity to spend time with my close friends while looking back on old memo ries.”
Music inspires students to build a creative space
Hannah Kim Dispatch Reporter
A new Music Production Cub at Bowie is quickly getting some student's attention with music. It is a welcoming environment where both beginners and those who have some experience can join, according to founder Felix Moran. Music Production Club strives to be a place where passion and creativity for music meet, and where people can make lifelong friendships. Moran said. He decided to start the club with friends Arlo Haug and Joshua Merkel. They convinced teacher Dustin Junk to sponsor the club.
“I wanted to start this club because I like Bowie and I’ve been doing music production for a really long time and I just felt like this was a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and create new friendships,” Moran said. “I’ve always liked music production ever since I was a little kid. I just wanted to share it with other people.”
The club explores all the different parts of music production. The club focuses on learning and building connections with those around them.
“In the club, we teach people and introduce people to music production and to those who are interested but don’t know how to start,” Moran said.
The three of them started this club with a goal in mind and are working together to achieve it.
“Our goal is to try and grow in size and just teach people about music,” Haug said.
According to Moran, creating the club has brought him the satisfaction he wouldn’t have gotten before.
“So far, just seeing when people don’t really understand the concept of music production, and I’m able to
help them through that and see them have that ah-ha moment when they finally understand it,” Moran said. “It feels good to see when people become better at it and own their skills.”
Members of the club meet every Thursday during FIT. They find joy in collaborating with the other members according to Haug.
“Being able to share my passion has definitely been one of my favorites starting this club,” Haug said.
Junk thinks the club is all about people doing what people doing what they love and making progress with the skills they have. This group can be able to balance professionalism while
still having a good time and being able to grow as music artists according to Junk.
“I've seen the club become more professional while remaining a fun, upbeat environment,” Junk said.
“Josh, Arlo, and Felix have done an excellent job making sure everyone is learning and growing as musicians.”
Junk is helping young musicians explore opportunities with great support. After a lesson of teaching music production, it’s free time for the students to create music using digital tools.
“Sponsoring this club seemed like a wonderful opportunity to facili-
tate young people getting involved with music,” Junk said. “I have some experience with music and the music business, and I know learning your equipment and staying on top of current trends and developments in music is a massive boon to a music career or hobby. And of course, it seemed like a ton of fun.”
Music production is a very broad term meaning to create a song. In the meetings, club leaders teach a lesson to the members about a specific subject of creating music from scratch through live demonstrations and slideshow presentations.
“Getting to share my passion for
creating music with others and having a good community is something I enjoy about the club,” Haug said. In the club, they mainly focus on instruments and create music that have different instruments already implemented in them through a midi, which is an interface between the computer and the sounds coming out of the speakers.
“We mainly teach skills in production like chords, melodies, and drums through digital audio workstations that are at industry standard," Moran said. The room we are using has awful acoustics, so teaching recording of vocals is something we are considering for the future.” Moran, Haug, and Merkel encourage the members to create new and unique music. They plan on teaching sampling soon which takes parts of existing songs and uses them to make new music.
“My best experiences so far have been listening to the kid’s music. Seeing people develop their technical skill in order to convey their emotions and sentiments,” Junk said. “I also love hearing how their music tastes and experiences inform the art they make. That's what music's all about, ultimately- pulling on your thoughts, feelings, technical knowledge, cultural experiences, and more to create and share something unique.”
STRINGS SING: Eyes focused on the music sheets while her arms sway. Julia Holkan leaned into her Instrument, drawing the bow across the strings with a delicate precision that filled the air with her melodies. PHOTO BY Will Olenick
BEATS BLAST: Layering melodies and beats to create an immersive soundtrack for their club. Each adjustment, members get caught up in the rhythm of their creativity. PHOTO BY Will Olenick
SCAN TO SEE MORE
VIDEO BY Hannah Kim and Will Olenick
Alice Goss - Dispatch Reporter
Chromakopia makes way onto playlists
Tyler, The Creator’s newly released album sparks debate on his unique brand of music
Elanor Blue Review Editor
What makes good music? What separates the revolutionaries from the one-hit wonders?
I find it important to dissect what we seek to answer these questions.
Whose judgment is the right one? Is the experienced listener’s opinion more valuable than a casual listener’s?
When it’s all said and done, does music bring about greater unity or division?
A new era of Tyler, the Creator has ushered in both skeptics and fans with his eighth studio album, Chromakopia.
I am infamous for being overly critical of almost every record I listen to the first time through. All of my current favorites didn’t resonate on my first listen.
Music takes a while to grow on me it always has.
This project was no different. On my first listen, I felt underwhelmed and mentally braced myself for the harsh reality of a shallow, less-than-interesting journey.
Yet, the end product surprised me.
Before discussing the music, I think it’s important to acknowledge the nuance in the criticism, specifically of the listening experience.
Tyler is known for releasing music every other year, and his most recent album, Chromakopia, broke that pattern.
This was his first yearly release since his Goblin debut in 2011.
The rapid announcement and release made it feel like there was no time to process the new concept before it was already sitting in our laps.
That’s one thing about Chromakopia that warped my listening experience.
It was so unexpected that it felt surreal, more like a fan edit than an official release.
Recently, Donald Glover did something similar. Known in the music industry as Childish Gambino, Glover released both “Atavista” and the soundtrack “Bando Stone and the New World” this past year.
He hadn’t released anything since his 2016 project, “Awaken, My Love.”
These incredible new records represented an end to his career under the alias Childish Gambino and served as a goodbye to his fans.
This is not to say that anyone is expecting Tyler to quit music in a similar way. If anything, Tyler’s latest album represents a new era of music and creative direction with his fresh persona, use of color, and feature choice.
While some saw the hasty release as a genius marketing move, others believed it was a signifier that Chromakopia would be lazy and unproductive.
ART BY Olive Trevino
This created a collective uneasiness before Chromakopia was even released.
But really, what are we searching for with modern music? This worldwide expectation of new music goes beyond just catchy lyrics or mellow beats.
Fundamentally, this is a good addition to his musical catalog.
Chromakopia is a warped familiarity, mixing Tyler’s past music with a dynamic new sound.
My main criticism about Chromakopia is that Tyler wasn’t pushing himself creatively.
We know he can, we’ve seen him break musical barriers, making a name for himself as a standout artist.
Even my 80s-loving mother will hum along to hits like Earfquake.
Chromakopia’s tracks are certainly more relatable to a wider audience. Ty-
ler, the Creator is leaning into his own universal experiences and rejecting the immature shock value that was incorporated in his earlier music.
He is no longer yelling into a microphone or eating a cockroach online in order to get his sound out there.
Tyler, the Creator has built an audience that listens to whatever he puts out, which allows for more experimentation and development.
Although the album has relatable themes and messaging, critics have acknowledged this relatability as a reflection of surface-level inspiration.
To me, Chromakopia was not Tyler’s best. There are some elements that feel rudimentary and misplaced.
For example, Judge Judy is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard.
It’s unsure of itself, mellow but
MOVIES
intense without any substance. The beat is fast and lazy; it’s a sound that’s been done over and over again.
But here’s the thing: we deserve relatable music that gives listeners feelings of unity and connection. Relatability does not make something basic and thus lower quality. How do we determine whether someone is lacking inspiration or if we are lacking the ability to relate?
This is the most real we’ve seen, or rather heard, Tyler, the Creator, in his career so far. He wears his metaphorical and physical mask to illustrate his commitment to authenticity, even through a veil.
One heartfelt addition to the album is his mother’s spoken features.
Her contributions to the project make you feel as though you’re listen-
ing in on a private conversation as she narrates his misery and his struggle, highlighting a disconnect between his life and the people in it.
“You are the light.”
His mother’s introduction kicks off the first song. Over time, her words devolve into warnings, advice, and counsel.
Her last contribution in “Like Him” is a confession, an apology, and a vulnerable moment from a woman who has led the listening experience with her charisma.
The quiet shame in this moment contrasts the voice that had served as the listener’s anchor in an experimental and existential venture.
And yet, this flavor of vulnerability is a major theme. The concept of blatant truth. In this way, this album is a vulnerable decision for both Tyler and his mother.
Once Tyler’s mother is honest, she is freed from her metaphorical obligation to the project. That is his mother’s last addition to the album.
The truth.
This leads into the last track, Balloon, featuring Doechii. It is cheerful, upbeat, and angelic.
To me, Balloon represents the freedom of truly being known. It is the bravery to live authentically.
In Chromakopia, Tyler looks into the face of shame, truth, and the audacity to live.
As an artist, Tyler, the Creator is under pressure to change his aesthetic with every new project.
Every ‘role’ or ‘character’ that he adopts shows a complete change in creative direction, from Goblin to Flowerboy to Igor to Chromakopia, there aren’t many rappers who change everything about themselves with every new release.
Chromakopia is a new level of authenticity from an artist who made a name for himself by acting out of the norm.
This vulnerability is under a greater level of observation as Tyler, The Creator seeks to not only be honest but to convince his audience that he is capable of this originality.
This album may not be my favorite of Tyler, the Creator’s work. There are several songs that aren’t quite up to the standards of his past work.
Yet, there’s something infectious about it.
It’s optimistic and well done, even if it’s not exactly what fans and critics were anticipating with the new release of the album.
Overall, Chromakopia did exactly what it came to do. It was a serious, but heartfelt deep dive into the personal side of a well-known and beloved music artist.
A swankified version of a iconic musical, now in theaters
Sophia Shaw Dispatch Reporter
The movie adaptation of Wicked came out on November 22, 2024 starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The original Wicked musical first appeared on Broadway October 8, 2003 with Idina Menzel and Christan Chenoweth. The musical was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West.
According to Playbill.com The original stage production of Wicked was a huge hit reaching new records of profit, making 3 million dollars in a week. It was only a matter of time before they made the iconic musical into a movie. After years of waiting, Wicked the movie has finally hit theaters. Deadline.com states that the movie has grossed $358 million, falling 4th place in highest grossing musical to movie adaptations.
This movie deserves the hype. Seeing the movie in theaters, it felt like I was watching the play on stage for the first time again. The onstage musical is extremely similar to the movie. The movie starts off with the iconic opening song ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’, and the set immediately immerses you in the story. You feel like you’ve just stumbled upon Munchkinland as you watch Glinda descend from her bubble and tell the tale of her dearest friend.
The costume choices were beautiful, especially for Glinda, the outfits she wears are flawless, and all of her clothes are flowy with no sharp edges or intense colors, everything is soft. In contrast, Elphaba’s costume designs were very sharp and dark. These contrasts are effective in showing their different personalities before we really get to know them. It was very impressive to see how effective the costume design was in this movie. Every costume perfectly matched the tone of the situation.
Throughout the movie, we see the bond between Glinda and Elphaba grow stronger. We really get to see how well these actresses have portrayed their characters. The writers, designers, and producers of this movie have already done a flawless job with the set, costumes, and script but seeing Grande and Erivo really become their characters was moving. You can really see the chemistry between the two actors.
The heartwarming relationships reminded me of when I first saw the stage performance of Wicked, seeing these actors becoming their characters, it almost feels real. It’s not just in the
movie either, Grande and Erivo have shown they are friends on and off the set which makes their interactions that much more real.
The music was on point, the vocals were perfect, not a single note out of place. The well known song ‘What is This Feeling’ was the one song I saw change the most from musical to movie adaptation. The choreography was changed drastically, towards the end of the song Glinda is seen with a group of Shiz students tapping books and stomping their feet in a rhythmic fashion, this scene has taken the media by storm with hundreds of people trying to recreate the dance.
My favorite song was ‘Dancing Through Life’ . This song takes us to the most swankified place in all of Shiz, The Ozdust Ballroom where the characters have been invited to a party by new student Fyiero. There is a moment during the song where Glinda gives Elphaba her signature pointy witch hat to wear to Fyiero’s party, Elphaba believes she’s had a change of heart and their friendship begins to blossom.
The movie comes to an end with the infamous duet, Defying Gravity. We are left on a cliffhanger which will be picked up in the second part of the movie, releasing on November 21, 2025. Some people have claimed that this movie will never live up to the musical, that there is nothing like watching a cast of characters perform these songs live, and nothing can replicate that feeling.
As someone who has seen the musical multiple times I can say that, while this movie does an amazing job at capturing the essence of the musical, there isn’t anything like watching it live.
Many criticize the movie for being too long.
The original show runs around 2 hours and 45 minutes and the first part of the movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes. I do think that the length of each song was painfully dragged out, especially Defying Gravity. It will never be exactly like the musical. I can see how people are upset about the length, however that does not deny the beautiful work that was done on this movie.
The extended run time is for elaboration on Elphaba’s childhood that we haven’t seen before.
For people who aren’t able to afford to fly out to New York and purchase tickets to see Wicked on Broadway, this movie is the next best thing at a fraction of the cost. This is one of the best stage productions to movie adaptation I’ve ever seen, if you’ve never seen the musical go to your local movie theater and buy tickets to Wicked.
Interstate 35 should not be expanded
Bumper-to-bumper traffic, honking car horns, and displeased drivers are all common along the stretch of Interstate-35 (I-35) that runs through Austin. The Texas Department of Public Transportation (TxDOT) has sponsored a project to expand I-35 aimed at eliminating commuter’s highway headaches. However, the increasing criticism and logistical obstacles standing in the way of the endeavor raises the question of whether this will be an effective solution to the worsening problem of congestion in Austin.
The I-35 Capital Express Central Project includes plans to remove the upper decks and add two increased occupancy lanes going in each direction. TxDOT has also proposed rebuilding east-west, cross-street bridges with pedestrian and bicycle paths for added safety.
Construction began in late October. However, an increase in the estimated price tag of the project has prompted an Austin City Council vote. Council members will decide by December 12 whether to continue with the original plan or implement a scaled-down, cost-efficient version.
Although the issue of heavy traffic along I-35 should be addressed, the Capital Express Central Project is not an effective solution to this problem. TxDOT should not go forward with expanding the interstate because the harmful consequences of this project would outweigh any benefits.
Expanding I-35 has the potential to cause environmental harm. According to the Center for American Progress, a federal program TxDOT was admitted to in 2014 allows states to take over the Federal Highway Administration’s role of authorizing transportation projects. This means TxDOT had the ability to approve the environmental review which they themselves conducted in order to begin construction.
The results of the evaluation have questionable accuracy considering that TxDOT reported
comparable levels of greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions whether or not the expansion is carried out. With added lanes and a growing population, environmental consequences including increased greenhouse gas emissions are likely.
Furthermore, this development involves the displacement of as many as 140 houses and 70 businesses, according to Environment Texas. The establishments impacted would include the Austin Chronicle, an important institution in local journalism, and popular eateries such as Stars Cafe.
This expansion will take a negative toll on the Austin community by forcing individuals and businesses to move. Residents now face the stressful challenge of finding a place to relocate their families, and business owners must consider how moving will affect their accessibility to customers.
Finally, construction plans have raised pedestrian safety concerns. According to Austin
Monitor, TxDOT has received input from residents about potential construction oversights. TxDOT has proposed the construction of a “single-point urban interchange” (SPUI). The SPUI is intended to alleviate traffic by controlling all left turns with one traffic signal. However, SPUIs can cause driver confusion and create a wider distance for pedestrians to cross.
TxDOT has suggested that pedestrians cross via tunnels below the SPUI to ensure safety. That said, individuals have voiced concerns about the potential safety risk of walking through these tunnels at night. These oversights indicate TxDOT’s lack of intention to ensure this expansion does not come at the expense of pedestrian safety.
While many argue that the I-35 expansion would reduce traffic congestion, evidence suggests otherwise. According to the Daily Texan, TxDOT attempted a similar project to
expand a freeway in Houston in 2008. After widening the highway to 26 lanes, commute times only increased. Unfortunately, more lanes often result in more traffic.
Rather than moving forward with this ambitious plan, the Texas Department of Transportation should allocate more funds to establishing reliable and effective public transportation in Central Texas. Public transportation is significantly more effective at reducing traffic congestion as stated in studies conducted by Transportation for America, and it is a more environmentally conscious solution. Widening Interstate 35 will not effectively reduce traffic and could have various detrimental impacts on both the environment, and the Austin community. In order to act in the best interest of Austinites, TxDOT should not move forward with construction and instead consider alternate solutions to combat this long standing problem.
Promise Program benefits graduating seniors
Many freshly graduated high school students struggle with finding an affordable education, especially in Austin, where rising inflation contributes to every day prices skyrocketing. This issue leaves many aspiring students without access to higher education once they leave high school. To combat this issue, Austin Community College (ACC) has presented the Free Tuition program. This program will provide two years of free tuition to recent high school graduates who live in and around the Austin area.
According to the Austin American Statesman, ACC is one of many colleges that are implementing these types of programs which are financial aid initiatives that offer tuition-free college to recent high school graduates in a specific area. This program allows students who live in low-income households to pursue a college education. This program will be valuable to students, as it offers free tuition for the first two years, helping to aid and alleviate the financial struggles many young adults face.
In a 2023 fall survey conducted by ACC, researchers found that 58% of students who applied to the community college didn't end up attending due to high tuition prices, though prices haven't been affected by inflation and have remained the same for 11 years. The number one cause preventing graduated high school students from attending college nationwide is the cost of tuition. The Promise Program states that the college will pay the $87 per credit hour tuition for 2024 graduates for the upcoming three years. With the cost of tuition covered, students will now be able to focus on buying necessities for college such as books and living costs.
This program benefits students and Austin Community College. Increased affordability will boost enrollment, therefore increasing the number of students in attendance at ACC. Many students may even choose the option of free tuition at ACC rather than a more expensive school that matches their needs. According to Russel Lowery-Hart, the Chancellor for Austin Community College District, enrollment at ACC could potentially increase by 300 students just within the first year. Furthermore, the success of this program could encourage other community colleges to do something similar. If results are positive and provide a noticeable change in what path students take after high school, this Promise Program could be spread to different areas of Texas where students also have issues with high tuition prices. With more and more colleges offering these programs, thousands of students who aspire to go to college, but can't afford it, will be able to attend without the impending doom of student loans above them.
Although some members of the board argue that there are other things they should focus on first, such as support for mental health and child care, affordable education is a larger crisis that should be addressed.
Many students have access to mental health or child support outside of school, while affordable education is an issue that is much further out of reach for many students and does not have an easy fix. While it may seem like funding this program is an easy way for ACC to lose money, they are searching for a financial partner to assist with any financial concerns they may have. If a reliable partner is found, it can ensure financial stability for ACC, and help the college continue serving its community for years to come. They have already acquired a $6.8 million surplus to help keep the college and its program afloat, and with continued financial support, they could help even more students battle the affordability crisis in the future.
To provide aid to aspiring college students, the Promise Program should be continued for high school seniors in Central Texas. The program should also be implemented in other areas so more people are able to benefit from this initiative. No one should be forced to give up their dreams of pursuing a higher education because they are unable to afford tuition. The affordable education crisis is a growing issue that needs to be taken seriously, as it affects many people throughout the nation.
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
Breaking news! A recently convicted felon has just escaped prison! We have reason to believe he has fled to the White House. Donald J. Trump is unfit to serve another term as president. He’s a criminal and a cheat who does what he pleases without consideration for anyone but himself, let alone the country he is supposed to be representing. He won’t support all American citizens.
Trump is a pathological liar. He was convicted of 34 felonies, most of which were related to hush money cover-ups of other terrible things he did, like fraud and sexual assault. The greatest leaders in our country's history were honest and trustworthy. Trump is neither. If he has lied so many times, like when he said schools send children for gender-affirming surgeries without guardian consent, which is grossly incorrect. He will do this again and again. If you don’t fit into a very specific demographic of Americans, you better get ready to kiss your safety goodbye. Trump made many claims saying he supports women during his last campaign, but his past actions prove otherwise. The Week created a list of sickening things he has said about women over the years. This list includes a variety of quotes that range from statements about how Kamala Harris is a monster and an incompetent woman, to comments about his own daughter being “voluptuous” and that “She does have a very nice figure ... if [she] weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her.” He’s also racked up an impressive list of sexual assault allegations from over 20 women. According to The Guardian, Trump has been on the prowl and has been a sexual predator since the 1980s. If he really supported women, he wouldn’t have appointed SCOTUS judges who overturned Roe v Wade. He doesn’t care about women having access to safe
healthcare in order to protect their bodily autonomy. Also, if he truly cared about the safety of women, He wouldn’t have physically attacked E. Jean Carroll when he, as she put it, “forcibly raped and groped her”.
The queer community is also going to face more challenges under Trump's upcoming term. Them, an LGBTQ+ website, explained that the queer community faced multiple attacks during Trump's first term, like when the Department of Health and Human Services wiped out medical protections for queer people and prohibited
It’s no secret that social media and the internet play a huge role in everyone's life. Social media is where people communicate with one another and get information about events happening in the world. Although the internet comes with its perks, online vigilantism, which is the act of carrying out police like actions with out legal authority through the internet, has created conflicts and has a large impact on many people's lives.
Online Vigilantism is a dangerous and unnecessary way to seek justice against crimes like doxing, scams, cyberbullying, and stalking. Those who participate in online vigilantism put themselves in danger and risk getting in trouble with the law.
Not only can online vigilantism put others in danger, but vigilantes also put themselves in danger during their hunt for justice. Investigating a case or crime without having proper training and practice can create many conflicts that are difficult and possibly not resolvable. These consequences include getting injured or possibly even death, changing the vigilante and other people's entire lives.
Another reason the acts of online vigilante should not be carried out to prevent crime is that many people performing acts such as to restrain a child predator they've lured into a meeting, and do not have legal authority to do so. By carrying out this act, it can cause consequences like getting in trouble with the law. As a result, if you are doing something illegal there is the possibility of being charged
and gender identity. Clearly, Trump doesn’t care about the safety or the rights of the queer community. He says he supports traditional families, which is funny considering he has five children with three different women.
Trump hasn’t even entered office yet and he has already made an impressive number of terrible decisions. His selections for his cabinet are a complete joke. Pete Hegseth is a Fox News host who has sexual assault allegations against him and was nominated for Secretary of Defense. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was accused of groping one of his former nannies and was selected to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy Jr. is also an anti-vaxxer, so I don’t anticipate him making smart decisions in regards to the public’s health. These are not the people we want to be in charge of our country. It seems that the only requirement to being selected to join Trump's cabinet is to kiss the ground that he walks on.
discrimination of queer people in healthcare settings that was once protected by Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Also, a policy was enacted under the Trump administration that kept trans people from serving in the military, even though it was repealed by Biden in 2021. Trump also openly expressed bitterness towards the Equality Act. Trump plans on continuing this hate trend the second he steps back into office.
The ACLU stated that Trump promised to reverse federal policies that banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation
due to actions and which counter acts the whole point of trying to find justice of the vigilantes just end up being just as much of a criminal as the people they are trying to catch or expose. Vigilantes aren’t always trained or educated in investigative work and normally don't have the credentials to be a trustworthy source for whether someone is guilty of a crime. Because of this, the act of online vigilantism can lead to things such as jail time, fines, or degrading of character for the vigilante. In 2012, NBC News wrote an article about vigilante Kyle Swanson, who was charged with unlawful restraint, obstruction of justice, and assault after refusing to let a man, who was a supposed pedophile, out of his car. Swanson posted the video of him restraining the man on YouTube, bringing more attention to his actions. As a result of Swanson’s vigilante actions, he was arrested but was later released after posting a $40,000 bail.
Although online vigilantism can come with lots of consequences, many argue that taking action in crimes online can bring bad people to justice. Taking action in these crimes online can help solve problems that people with legal authority were unwilling or unable to solve. Online vigilantism can also encourage others to stand up for their rights and seek justice for themselves and their communities.
As a solution, any crime or threat that anyone may see online should instead be reported to the police or a person with legal authority to investigate a crime. By doing so, it can help prevent getting in trouble with the law and can protect people wanting to seek justice from any danger that could be encountered when investigating a crime.
Online vigilantism is a dangerous and unnecessary way to seek justice and there are many other options rather than performing acts usually done by the police.
The Republican Party is known for making the economy and inflation a top priority, according to the 2024 Republican Party Platform, but Trump can’t even get that right. While he has been gloating about his new tariff policy, economists have been sounding the alarm. NBC explained that foreign countries won’t be paying for these new tariffs; American consumers will. That doesn’t matter to him though, because no matter how many times he says he does, he has proved time and time again that he doesn’t care about the average American.
His life has always been far from average, considering he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He doesn’t understand average Americans, nor will he make an effort to try to. In a time like this, it is critical to stay informed. Stand up for yourself, your family, and your friends by being skeptical of policies until you research them, and always take Trump's word with a grain of salt. And, most importantly, stay guarded.
PHOTOS BY Sam Bode
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
ART BY Olive Trevino
Mozart’s sparkles into holiday season
Austin tradition takes on a new approach
Ray
Essay Editor
Austin is full of fun holiday activities and traditions from the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park to seeing the Nutcracker at the Long Center. One of Austin’s most popular holiday traditions is at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin. For over 30 years, Mozart’s has welcomed all and served holiday memories and fun.
Mozart’s light tradition is well-known in the Bowie community with many students being frequent visitors at Mozart’s. Senior Brooke Schneider likes the convenience and the inviting feeling Mozart’s brings.
“Mozart’s is very fun and affordable for students because it was only $5 for admission,” Scheider said. “Since the energy is more chill this year, you can go and work on homework or just have a good conversation under pretty lights and some live music.” Schneider went to Mozart’s with senior Haley Himebaugh and junior Bennett Hadley to have hot chocolate, watch the live performance, and enjoy each other’s company.
“The performance was beautifully done,” Himebaugh said. “The artists were very involved with the crowd and it was l very down to earth and felt in tune with what Austin is known for.”
In the past, Mozart’s has always had a light show with many lights on one wall making all different scenes. This year they have headed in a different direction by focusing on music
and shopping.
“I think Mozarts will always have some type of Christmas show, however since it has already changed I think it may continue to get smaller unless enough people advocate to bring the light show back,” Schneider said. “I like the live music and it had a very chill vibe and it was fun to just chill with friends and drink hot chocolate.”
Over the years, Mozart’s has had multiple booths to buy hot chocolate and it became a big part of the experience. Hadley got the classic Mozart’s experience with hot chocolate and embracing the Christmas festivities with his friends.
the lake. These new activities bring an all new holiday experience to Austin.
“I really enjoyed the idea of the igloos because it’s a new perspective of everything and it seemed fun to get a view of everything,” Himebaugh said.
“The boats also looked super cool because I have never seen lights on the lake like that before.”
The new boat cruises take a tour through the Christmas lights on Lake Austin and the homes surrounding it. Views of Christmas decorations, hot chocolate, and food can be appealing for friends and families.
“My favorite part of Mozart’s is the lights they’re so colorful and the displays are so well thought out. ” Brooke Schneider
“I love the hot chocolate tradition and I think it is cool that everybody loves it and gets hot chocolate too,” Hadley said.
With everything they have to offer, the Mozart’s Coffee Roasters holiday lights can be appealing to anyone.
“The atmosphere is just very positive and festive and perfect for all people of all ages,” Schneider said. “There are activities for kids and adults which makes it very family friendly.”
Since discontinuing the light show, Mozart’s introduced new entertaining activities including igloos with a lake view and boat cruises through light tunnels on
Senior
“I think the cruise is a great addition to Mozart’s,” Schneider said. “I would totally like to go do that with my friends and hangout and look at lights and listen to Christmas music.”
Through changes overtime, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters continues to be a popular and beloved Austin tradition bringing holiday spirit to all.
“I think Mozart’s is one of the best traditions in Austin and that it is very nostalgic because so many people have gone every year since they were kids,” Himebaugh said. “I also have been going since I was a kid and it was always a really good time.”
PHOTO BY Arden Ray
Arden
Photo
MAKING MEMORIES: Senior Brooke Schneider captures the moment by taking a picture of the lit up Mozart’s sign by Lake Austin. Mozart’s delivered many photo opportunities including a light up truck, Christmas trees, and a sleigh led by reindeer. “There were so many great places to take pictures,” Schneider said. “I really liked all the lights hanging from the trees because they looked really pretty in photos.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
FLOATING LIGHTS: A double deck party boat covered in lights passes through a light tunnel on Lake Austin. The light tunnel is one of many floating light attractions on the lake setup by Mozart’s. “I was watching all the boats going around the lights and it looked like so much fun,” Himebaugh said. “I think it is such a cool idea and something that no one has really seen before.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
STRIKE A POSE: Mozart’s festival employee dances and spins on roller skates. Many Mozart’s employees wore festive holiday clothes and entertained guests. “The dancing guy on roller skates was so funny to me,” Schneider said. “I loved that the dressed up people were very nice and also made sure people were having fun and they were super nice to the little kids.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
